noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/əˈpɑːtheɪt/Received Pronunciation, strictly
/əˈpɑːthaɪt/Received Pronunciation, strictly
ə-pärtʹhātUS, strictly
ə-pärtʹhītUS, strictly
/əˈpɑɹtheɪt/US, strictly
/əˈpɑɹthaɪt/US, strictly
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
ə-pärʹtīdUS, laxly
/əˈpɑɹ.taɪd/US, laxly
CMU ARPABET:AH0 P AA1 R T AY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:AH0 P AA1 R T AY2 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The policy of racial segregation in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: plural relations
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any similar policy of racial segregation or separation and discrimination, particularly when in favor of a minority rule.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable
Examples
The 1973 Apartheid Convention conferred universal jurisdiction to the state signatories to prosecute those who commit apartheid.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A policy or situation of segregation based on some specified attribute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To impose a policy of segregation of groups of people, especially one based on race.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites; the former official policy in South Africa
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: social policy
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Dutch apart Proto-Indo-European *keyt-der. Proto-Germanic *haiduzder. Proto-West Germanic *-haidu Old Dutch -heit Middle Dutch -heit Dutch -heid Dutch apartheid Afrikaans apartheidbor. English apartheid Borrowed from Afrikaans apartheid (literally “separateness, apartness”) (1929 in a South African socio-political context), from Afrikaans apart (“separate”) + suffix -heid, cognate of English -hood.
Across languages
Translations
65 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Arabic:
أَپَارْتْهِيد
(ʔapārthīd)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Arabic:
فَصْلٌ عُنْصُرِيّ
(faṣlun ʕunṣuriyy)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Armenian:
ապարտհեյդ
(apartheyd)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Armenian:
ապարտեիդ
(aparteid)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Brahui:
apártíđ
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Bulgarian:
апартейд
(apartejd)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Burmese:
အသားအရောင်ခွဲခြားမှု
(a.sa:a.raunghkwai:hkra:hmu.)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Catalan:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Chinese Mandarin:
種族隔離 /种族隔离
(zhǒngzú gélí)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Czech:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Danish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Esperanto:
apartismo
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Finnish:
rotuerottelu
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Finnish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
French:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Galician:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Georgian:
აპარტეიდი
(aṗarṭeidi)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Georgian:
აპართეიდი
(aṗarteidi)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
German:
Apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Greek:
απαρτχάιντ
(apartcháint)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Hebrew:
אַפַּרְטְהַיְד \ אפרטהייד
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Hungarian:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Italian:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Japanese:
アパルトヘイド
(aparutoheido)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Japanese:
アパルトヘイト
(aparutoheito)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Khmer:
នយោបាយប្រកាន់វណ្ណៈ
(nɔyoobaay prɑkan voanna’)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Korean:
아파르트헤이트
(apareuteuheiteu)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Malay:
aparteid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Malay:
pengasingan kaum
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Norwegian Bokmål:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Norwegian Nynorsk:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Polish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Portuguese:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Russian:
апартеи́д
(apartɛíd)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Sardinian:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Sicilian:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Somali:
midab takoor
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Spanish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Swedish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Tok Pisin:
apatet
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Turkish:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Ukrainian:
апартеї́д
(apartejíd)
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Venetan:
apartheid
— policy of racial separation in South Africa
Afrikaans:
apartheid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Arabic:
فَصْل عُنْصُرِيّ
(faṣl ʕunṣuriyy)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Brahui:
apártíđ
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Chinese Mandarin:
種族隔離 /种族隔离
(zhǒngzú gélí)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Georgian:
აპარტეიდი
(aṗarṭeidi)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Georgian:
სეგრეგაცია
(segregacia)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
German:
Apartheid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Greek:
απαρτχάιντ
(apartcháint)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Hebrew:
הפרדה
(hafrada)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Italian:
apartheid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Malay:
aparteid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Portuguese:
apartheid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Russian:
апартеи́д
(apartɛíd)
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Spanish:
apartheid
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Tok Pisin:
apatet
— any policy of racial separation — see also segregation
Afrikaans:
apartheid
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
German:
Apartheid
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
Greek:
απαρτχάιντ
(apartcháint)
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
Hebrew:
הפרדה
(hafrada)
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
Malay:
pengasingan
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
Malay:
pemisahan
— a policy or situation of separation based on some specified attribute — see also segregation
