Ebonics

noun

Ebon·​ics ē-ˈbä-niks How to pronounce Ebonics (audio)
i-,
e-
plural in form but singular in construction

Examples of Ebonics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
At an early age I was taught to speak very properly around white people and to only use Ebonics with Black people. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Since utterances were only weakly correlated with income and education then perhaps the shorter utterance lengths is a characteristic of their race – perhaps pointing towards the controversial language of Ebonics [26]. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2013

Word History

Etymology

blend of ebony and phonics

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ebonics was in 1973

Dictionary Entries Near Ebonics

Cite this Entry

“Ebonics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ebonics. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Ebonics

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!