Phrase guide

white man's burden

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

The supposed responsibility of European people to govern and care for their colonial subjects.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the supposed responsibility of the white race to provide care for their non-white subjects

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: duty, responsibility, obligation

History

Etymology

From the poem The White Man's Burden (published 1899) by Rudyard Kipling.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 白人的负担 — supposed responsibility of whites
  • Finnish: valkoisen miehen taakka — supposed responsibility of whites
  • French: fardeau de l'homme blanc — supposed responsibility of whites
  • Swedish: den vite mannens börda — supposed responsibility of whites