Standard Lemma guide

ethnicity

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /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

Usage: countable, euphemistic, informal, uncountable

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
  • Ukrainian: е́тнос (étnos) — ethnic group
  • Uyghur: مىللەتلەر (milletler) — ethnic group
  • Vietnamese: sắc tộc — ethnic group
Real reading context

ethnicity in complete knowledge articles