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Meaning & use

racist

adjective, noun·Academicdisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈreɪ.sɪst/
US/ˈreɪ.sɪst/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparabledisapproving

    Showing unfair dislike or treatment of people because of their race, or based on the idea that one race is better than another.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a racist remark, the remark was racist.

    Patterns

    • racist towards someone
    • racist against someone

    The club apologized for a racist comment made by one of its members.

    The newspaper was criticized for its racist cartoons.

    Many people protested against racist policies in housing.

  2. nouncountabledisapproving

    A person who believes that some races are better than others or who treats people unfairly because of their race.

    Grammar: Strongly negative; calling someone a racist is a serious accusation.

    Patterns

    • a racist

    The coach was fired after being exposed as a racist.

    Most people refuse to be called racists, even when their jokes hurt others.

    She refused to rent the apartment to a known racist.

Word forms

pluralracists

Common combinations

racist attitudes
The report found racist attitudes in the hiring process.
racist abuse
The player suffered racist abuse online.
racist remark
The manager apologized for his racist remark.
racist behavior
The school has a zero-tolerance policy on racist behavior.
openly racist
The leader was openly racist in his speeches.

Synonyms and how they differ

prejudiced
Prejudiced is a broader word covering many kinds of unfair bias, while racist focuses on race.
bigoted
Bigoted describes someone stubbornly intolerant of any group, whereas racist is specific to race.
discriminatory
Discriminatory describes unfair treatment in action, while racist can also describe beliefs and attitudes.
xenophobic
Xenophobic describes fear or hatred of foreigners, which may or may not involve race.

Opposites

antiracisttolerant

Word family

racism noun
prejudice or unfair treatment based on race
racial adjective
relating to race
antiracist adjective
opposing racism
racially adverb
in a way connected with race

Commonly confused: racist or racial?

racist vs racial

Racial simply means relating to race and is neutral, while racist describes prejudice or unfair treatment.

Practice

The company fired the employee after he made a ___ joke about a coworker's ethnic background.

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