Dictionary

racism

noun rac·ism \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-\

: poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race

: the belief that some races of people are better than others

Full Definition of RACISM

1
:  a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2
:  racial prejudice or discrimination
rac·ist \-sist also -shist\ noun or adjective
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Examples of RACISM

  1. The recording career of the Henderson band was brief … due partly to the racism of booking agencies that didn't take on black acts until the mid-'30s, when Henderson's career was on the downswing. —Greg Tate, Vibe, April 1995

First Known Use of RACISM

1933

Related to RACISM

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture
RACISM Defined for Kids

racism

noun rac·ism \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm\

Definition of RACISM for Kids

1
:  belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others
2
:  discrimination or hatred based on race

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