Ku Klux Klan

noun

ˈkü-ˈkləks-ˈklan 

 also  ˈkyü-,

 or  ˈklü-

1

: a violent secret fraternal society founded in 1915 in Georgia to maintain white Protestant cultural and political power

also : any one of more than 20 hate (see hate entry 1 sense 1c) groups that associate themselves with the Ku Klux Klan

2

: a violent post-Civil War secret society founded in Tennessee in 1866 to upend the Black political and social power that was being established during Reconstruction

Note: This Ku Klux Klan had largely dissolved by the end of the 1870s.

Examples of Ku Klux Klan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brooks posted anti-white and anti-police content on social media, comparing police officers to Ku Klux Klan members and advocating violence against white people. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025

However, others have pushed back against the idea of Palestinian liberation — such as Jerry Seinfeld, who recently compared the Free Palestine movement to the Ku Klux Klan during a surprise appearance at Duke University. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025

Cruz gave an example of a university student who dresses up in a Ku Klux Klan outfit, burns a cross and advocates for killing Black people. —Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 16 Sep. 2025

The racially motivated attack, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan, intensified national outrage and was a catalyst for major civil rights advancements. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for Ku Klux Klan

• businessman
• canavan
• caravan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan