ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ethnicity

n.
US //ɛθˈnɪsɪti// UK //ɛθnˈɪsɪti// eth·nic·i·ty
  1. 1 race (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    a word sometimes used instead of 'race' to talk about a person's physical or family origins.

    used as a synonym for race or common ancestry, often as a more formal or euphemistic alternative in social and political discourse.

    Example

    The form asked for my ethnicity and my age.

    Example

    Sociologists argue that ethnicity is a more useful category than race because it encompasses shared history and language rather than just physical traits.

Origin

From ethnic + -ity.

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