racism

noun

ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce racism (audio)
Definition of racismnext
1
as in segregation
the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others Hitler's declaration of his belief in a "master race" provided irrefutable proof to the world of the inherent and dangerous racism of the Nazi movement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prejudice
hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most deplorable incidents of racism that occurred during the civil rights movement of the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for racism
  1. segregation
  2. prejudice
Noun
  • An agent that can both draft and post a journal entry has the same segregation-of-duties problem as a clerk who can do both.
    — Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Although this kind of segregation can be seen with greater clarity in DF2, DF4, and DF9, not everyone agrees on how the separation took place.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of segregation
Noun
  • Of course, one is inevitably loaded with expectations and prejudices, but the ideal of letting the work teach you how to consider it, as the philosopher Stanely Cavell counseled, is a useful starting point.
    — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Misty is a long-ago Emmy winner whose career has slipped through her fingers, in part because of reckless behavior on and off the set and and in part because of racist and ageist prejudices in casting.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prejudice
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.

Browse Nearby Words

racing
racism
racist
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Cite this Entry

“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racism. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on racism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about racism

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