Hispanic

adjective

His·​pan·​ic hi-ˈspa-nik How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being a native of Spanish-speaking Latin America or a descendant of such a person
Hispanic people/cultures
the Hispanic Caribbean
… Hispanic communities in and outside of Latin America.—Angely Mercado
especially : of, relating to, or being Hispanic people living in the U.S.
the state's Hispanic voters
There is no monolithic Hispanic vote, in Texas or anywhere else. —Tina Aviles
Hispanic residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties have backgrounds that are Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican and from many countries in Central and South America. —Anthony Man
2
: of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain
Hispanic noun
Hispanicism
hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
noun
Hispanicist
hi-ˈspa-nə-sist How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
noun
Hispanicize
hi-ˈspa-nə-ˌsīz How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
transitive verb

Examples of Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More than half of the district’s student body is Hispanic or Latino. — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 The migration of working-class and Hispanic voters toward Trump in 2024, which now appeared to be swinging back to the Democrats in the midterms, suggested an underlying instability. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 Tijerina is part of a coalition of Hispanic and Latino voters who have long leaned Democratic but have more recently shown a willingness to vote for both parties. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 The report shows that groups like women, noncitizens, and Black and Hispanic populations are more likely to face poverty or near poverty than the state population as a whole. — P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Hispanic

Word History

Etymology

Latin hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hispanic was in 1584

Phrases Containing Hispanic

Rhymes for Hispanic

See All Rhymes for Hispanic

Browse Nearby Words

Hispania
Hispanic
Hispanicism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hispanic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hispanic. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Hispanic

adjective
His·​pan·​ic his-ˈpan-ik How to pronounce Hispanic (audio)
1
: of or relating to the people, culture, or speech of Spain
2
: of, relating to, or being a person living in the U.S. from or whose ancestors were from Latin America
Hispanic noun
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