noun · 4 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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/ɛθˈnɪsɪti/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪsɪti
CMU ARPABET:EH0 TH N IH1 S IH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The common characteristics of a group of people, especially regarding ancestry, culture, language or national experiences.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An ethnic group.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Race; common ancestry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
ethnicity has a strong influence on community status relations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: quality
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English ethnic Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English ethnicity From ethnic + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
140 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
إِثْنِيَّة
(ʔiṯniyya)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Armenian:
էթնիկ պատկանելություն
(ētʻnik patkanelutʻyun)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Armenian:
ազգություն
(azgutʻyun)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Azerbaijani:
etnik qrup
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Bashkir:
милләт
(millət)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Belarusian:
этні́чная прынале́жнасць
(etníčnaja prynaljéžnascʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Belarusian:
нацыяна́льнасць
(nacyjanálʹnascʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Belarusian:
наро́днасць
(naródnascʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Belarusian:
этні́чнасць
(etníčnascʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Bulgarian:
етни́ческа принадле́жност
(etníčeska prinadléžnost)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Burmese:
လူမျိုး
(lu-myui:)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Catalan:
ètnia
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Chinese Cantonese:
種族 /种族
(zung2 zuk6)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Chinese Cantonese:
民族
(man4 zuk6)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Chinese Mandarin:
種族 /种族
(zhǒngzú)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Chinese Mandarin:
民族
(mínzú)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Czech:
etnicita
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Danish:
etnicitet
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Esperanto:
etneco
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Estonian:
rahvuskuuluvus
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Finnish:
kansallispiirre
— characteristics of an ethnic group
French:
ethnicité
— characteristics of an ethnic group
French:
appartenance ethnique
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Georgian:
ეროვნება
(erovneba)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Georgian:
ეთნიკური კუთვნილება
(etniḳuri ḳutvnileba)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
German:
Ethnizität
— characteristics of an ethnic group
German:
Volkszugehörigkeit
— characteristics of an ethnic group
German:
ethnische Zugehörigkeit
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Greek:
εθνότητα
(ethnótita)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hebrew:
לאום
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hebrew:
לְאֹם
(l'om)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hebrew:
לאומיות
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hebrew:
לְאֻמִּיּוּת
(l'umiyút)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hindi:
क़ौमियत
(qaumiyat)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hindi:
कौमियत
(kaumiyat)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hindi:
ज़ात
(zāt)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hungarian:
etnikum
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hungarian:
etnicitás
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hungarian:
származás
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Hungarian:
etnikai hovatartozás
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Indonesian:
kesukuan
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Irish:
eitneachas
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Italian:
etnicità
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Italian:
etnia
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Japanese:
民族性
(minzokusei)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Japanese:
民族
(minzoku)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Japanese:
エスニシティ
(esunishiti)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Kazakh:
этникалық тиістілік
(étnikalyq tiıstılık)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Khmer:
ជាតិពន្ធភាព
(ciət pŭən phiəp)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Korean:
민족성
(minjokseong)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Lao:
ຊົນຊາດ
(son sāt)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Latvian:
tautība
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Lithuanian:
tautybė
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Norman:
ethnicité
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Norwegian Bokmål:
etnisitet
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Norwegian Nynorsk:
etnisitet
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Dari:
قَوْمِیَّت
(qawmiyyat)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Iranian Persian:
قُوْمِیَّت
(ġowmiyyat)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Polish:
narodowość
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Polish:
etniczność
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Portuguese:
etnia
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Romanian:
etnicitate
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Russian:
этни́ческая принадле́жность
(etníčeskaja prinadléžnostʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Russian:
национа́льность
(nacionálʹnostʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Russian:
наро́дность
(naródnostʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Russian:
этни́чность
(etníčnostʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
ѐтнија
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
ètnija
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Slovak:
etnicita
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Spanish:
etnicidad
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Swedish:
etnicitet
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Thai:
ชาติพันธุ์
(châat-dtì-pan)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Turkish:
etnik köken
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Ukrainian:
етні́чна принале́жність
(etníčna prynaléžnistʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Ukrainian:
етні́чність
(etníčnistʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Ukrainian:
націона́льність
(nacionálʹnistʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Ukrainian:
наро́дність
(naródnistʹ)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Urdu:
قَومِیَت
(qaumiyat)
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Vietnamese:
sắc tộc
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Vietnamese:
sắc dân
— characteristics of an ethnic group
Arabic:
مَجْمُوعَة إِثْنِيَّة
(majmūʕa ʔiṯniyya)
— ethnic group
Armenian:
ազգություն
(azgutʻyun)
— ethnic group
Bashkir:
милләт
(millət)
— ethnic group
Belarusian:
этні́чная гру́па
(etníčnaja hrúpa)
— ethnic group
Belarusian:
нацыяна́льнасць
(nacyjanálʹnascʹ)
— ethnic group
Belarusian:
наро́днасць
(naródnascʹ)
— ethnic group
Belarusian:
э́тнас
(étnas)
— ethnic group
Bulgarian:
е́тнос
(étnos)
— ethnic group
Bulgarian:
народност
(narodnost)
— ethnic group
Chinese Cantonese:
民族
(man4 zuk6)
— ethnic group
Chinese Mandarin:
民族
(mínzú)
— ethnic group
Danish:
etnisk tilhørsforhold
— ethnic group
Esperanto:
etno
— ethnic group
Finnish:
etnisyys
— ethnic group
Finnish:
kansallisuus
— ethnic group
French:
ethnie
— ethnic group
French:
groupe ethnique
— ethnic group
Georgian:
ეთნიკური ჯგუფი
(etniḳuri ǯgupi)
— ethnic group
German:
ethnische Gruppe
— ethnic group
Hindi:
क़ौम
(qaum)
— ethnic group
Hindi:
कौम
(kaum)
— ethnic group
Hindi:
ज़ात
(zāt)
— ethnic group
Hungarian:
etnikum
— ethnic group
Hungarian:
etnikai csoport
— ethnic group
Indonesian:
etnis
— ethnic group
Indonesian:
suku bangsa
— ethnic group
Irish:
eitneacht
— ethnic group
Japanese:
民族
(minzoku)
— ethnic group
Kazakh:
ұлт
(ūlt)
— ethnic group
Kazakh:
этнос
(étnos)
— ethnic group
Khmer:
ក្រុមជនជាតិ
(krom cɔɔn ciət)
— ethnic group
Korean:
민족
(minjok)
— ethnic group
Lao:
ເຊື້ອຊາດ
(sư̄a sāt)
— ethnic group
Lao:
ຊົນຊາດ
(son sāt)
— ethnic group
Nuosu:
ꊿꋅ
(co cux)
— ethnic group
Occitan:
etnia
— ethnic group
Dari:
قَوْم
(qawm)
— ethnic group
Iranian Persian:
قُوْم
(ġowm)
— ethnic group
Portuguese:
etnia
— ethnic group
Romanian:
grup etnic
— ethnic group
Romanian:
etnie
— ethnic group
Russian:
этни́ческая гру́ппа
(etníčeskaja grúppa)
— ethnic group
Russian:
национа́льность
(nacionálʹnostʹ)
— ethnic group
Russian:
э́тнос
(étnos)
— ethnic group
Russian:
наро́дность
(naródnostʹ)
— ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
етницѝте̄т
— ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
ѐтнија
— ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
etnicìtēt
— ethnic group
Serbo-Croatian:
ètnija
— ethnic group
Spanish:
etnia
— ethnic group
Swedish:
etnicitet
— ethnic group
Thai:
เชื้อชาติ
(chʉ́ʉa-châat)
— ethnic group
Thai:
กลุ่มชาติพันธุ์
(glùm-châat-dtì-pan)
— ethnic group
Tibetan:
རྒྱལ་ཁོངས
(rgyal khongs)
— ethnic group
Ukrainian:
етні́чна гру́па
(etníčna hrúpa)
— ethnic group
Ukrainian:
націона́льність
(nacionálʹnistʹ)
— ethnic group
Ukrainian:
наро́дність
(naródnistʹ)
— ethnic group