ethnicity

noun

eth·​nic·​i·​ty eth-ˈni-sə-tē 

plural ethnicities

1

: ethnic quality or affiliation

aspects of ethnicity

2

: a particular ethnic affiliation or group

students of diverse ethnicities

Synonyms of ethnicity

• nationality
• nation

Examples of ethnicity in a Sentence

a university with a student body of diverse ethnicities

Recent Examples on the Web

While Heinrich ponders the misfiring neurons in the brain of a mass shooter, Jack’s pursuit of Mink—a character whose skin color and ambiguous ethnicity Jack remarks on repeatedly—leads him directly into the urban teeth of the War on Drugs. —Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026

By ethnicity, Asians topped with total annual contributions of $7,936, followed by White people with $7,605. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Starting in June, dozens of postal carriers in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama will ask personal questions about race, ethnicity and the relationships of residents in households that haven't responded to a test census questionnaire online. —ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026

Because in a sea of mostly female fans, women hyped each other up, popped their booties in solidarity with each other and cheered people of every body type and ethnicity. —Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ethnicity

• basicity
• chronicity
• complicity
• cyclicity
• duplicity
• facticity
• felicity
• helicity
• plasticity
• publicity
• rusticity
• simplicity