ethnic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to a group of people who share the same culture, race, or national background.
adj.pertaining to a population group that shares a common cultural, linguistic, or ancestral heritage.
Simple“The city is famous for its diverse ethnic groups and many different languages.”
In context“Sociologists study how ethnic identity is maintained across multiple generations in immigrant communities.”
UsageOften used in academic or official contexts to discuss demographics and social diversity.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing things like food, music, or clothes that come from a specific, often non-Western, culture.
adj.characteristic of a specific minority or foreign culture, particularly regarding traditional or folk expressions.
Simple“We went to a market that sells ethnic food from all over the world.”
In context“The boutique specialises in ethnic jewellery handcrafted by artisans using traditional tribal techniques.”
Teacher's tipIn casual conversation, this sense is sometimes used to mean 'foreign' or 'exotic', though some people find this usage reductive.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who belongs to a specific ethnic group, especially a minority group.
n.a member of a particular ethnic group, typically used in the context of minority or immigrant populations.
Simple“The survey asked if the participants identified as ethnics or as part of the majority.”
In context“The historical document recorded the arrival of various ethnics who settled in the industrial suburbs during the late nineteenth century.”
UsageThe noun form is less common than the adjective and can sound overly clinical or dated in some contexts.
Usage ethnic cleansing · ethnic groups · ethnic minorities
“The Rohingya are a mostly Muslim ethnic group who have lived in Buddhist-majority Myanmar for centuries.”
“Honey hunters of the Gurung ethnic community in Nepal collect honey from the comb.”
From Middle English ethnik, from Latin ethnicus ("pagan", "heathen"), from Ancient Greek ἐθνικός (ethnikós, “of or for a nation, heathen”), from ἔθνος (éthnos, “a company", later "a people or nation, heathens”). By surface analysis, ethno- + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.