Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic hi-ˈspa-nik 

1

: of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent and especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin living in the U.S.

2

: of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain

Hispanic noun

Hispanicism

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsi-zəm 

noun

Hispanicist

hi-ˈspa-nə-sist 

noun

Hispanicize

hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsīz 

transitive verb

Examples of Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By comparison, only 44% of Hispanic workers, 43% of Black workers and 42% of English-speaking Asian workers did. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024

In addition, disparities persist, as Black, Hispanic, Native American women and those in isolated areas face higher death rates from the disease. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

Census data shows that the Hispanic population more than doubled from 9.1 million in 1970 to 22.4 million in 1990. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Of those admitted to the exam schools, 31% were White, 23% Black, 23% Hispanic, and 18% Asian, according to court filings. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing Hispanic

• non-Hispanic
• pre-Hispanic

Kids Definition

Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic his-ˈpan-ik 

1

: of or relating to the people, culture, or speech of Spain

2

: of, relating to, or being a person living in the U.S. from or whose ancestors were from Latin America

Hispanic noun