Latine

adjective

La·​ti·​ne lə-ˈtē-(ˌ)nā How to pronounce Latine (audio)
see usage note below
: of, relating to, or marked by Latin American heritage : latinx
used as a gender-neutral alternative to Latina or Latino
"For me, it's absolutely about the queer representation, queer love, but it's also about the Latine existence in America," [Rafael] Silva [actor] said, using a gender-neutral option in lieu of "Latino" or "Latina."Max Gao
Latine is a word that serves the same purpose as Latinx, but it is a response to the latter. Latine can be used in the Spanish language seamlessly as compared with Latinx, which stumbles off the tongue.Rei Perez
It's one thing to represent Latine people and culture, but it's another to empower Latine people to craft their own narratives. "Encanto" does just that. There are so many Latine people in both the cast and the production. It has given them the voice and platform to celebrate both Colombian and Latine culture.Lorraine Olaya
Latine noun
plural Latines
… National Hispanic Heritage Month honors Latines and Hispanics in the U.S. for our culture and history. Amanda M. Castro
Usage of Latine and Latinx

Latine and Latinx are both used as gender-neutral alternatives to feminine Latina and masculine Latino. Each is formed by replacing the grammatically gendered -a and -o Spanish endings with a gender-neutral ending. Latinx, which was coined first, uses the English x (as in the gender-neutral courtesy title Mx.) to denote an unspecified or variable gender. Latine applies the Spanish -e, denoting an unspecified gender, as in estudiante ("student") and prudente ("sensible"). Objections to Latinx are common among people of Latin American heritage and most frequently relate to the fact that the term does not follow regular Spanish word formation and is therefore not easily adopted by many of the people it describes.

Examples of Latine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Across Los Angeles County, a new generation of Latine community organizers have come of age and are ready to cast their ballots for the first time and help others do the same. Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 Mediated representation of Latine teenage parenthood isn’t as kind. Sarah Carrillo, refinery29.com, 16 Oct. 2024 Supporting 10 early career artists, the program aims to expand Latine representation in independent media by offering professional and creative development support, networking opportunities and access to Sundance Collab and ELEVATE. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024 In 2019, a mass shooter killed 23 people and injured 22 more — most of whom were Latine — in an El Paso, TX grocery store. Mythili Sampathkumar, refinery29.com, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Latine 

Word History

Etymology

latin(o) and latin(a) + Spanish -e, non-gender specific ending of nouns and adjectives (as in estudiante "student," prudente "sensible")

First Known Use

2017, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Latine was in 2017

Dictionary Entries Near Latine

Cite this Entry

“Latine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latine. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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