Meaning & use
Mzungu
Last updated
A Swahili term, widely used in East African English, for a white person or a foreigner of European descent.
See it in a sentence
Local children ran alongside the car shouting "mzungu, mzungu!" as the tourists passed through the village.
As the only mzungu in the office, she was used to standing out at first, though colleagues quickly stopped noticing.
A note on using this word
The word is thought to derive from a Swahili root meaning "one who wanders" or "roams around," originally describing European explorers and traders.
Words with a similar meaning
foreigner
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