ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ethnicity

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɛθˈnɪsɪti// UK //ɛθnˈɪsɪti// eth·nic·i·ty Humorous Informal

n. the group of people you belong to based on shared culture, language, or history. It is about your background and where your family comes from.

n. the state of belonging to a social group that shares a common national or cultural tradition. Refers to identity based on shared ancestry, language, or social treatment rather than purely biological factors.


SIMPLE

The form asks for your name, age, and ethnicity.

CONTEXTUAL

The city's food festival celebrates the diverse ethnicity of its residents through music and traditional cooking.

COMPLEX

Sociologists argue that ethnicity is a fluid construct, often shaped by historical migration patterns and the internal desire for communal belonging within a larger society.

Origin

From ethnic + -ity.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general concept of cultural identity; countable when referring to specific ethnic groups.

Pitfall

What is your ethnic?What is your ethnicity?Learners often use the adjective 'ethnic' when the noun 'ethnicity' is required to name the category.

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