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• white supremacy
  white supremacy

  noun

  the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.
• White supremacy
  White supremacy

  noun

  the theory or belief that White people are innately superior to people of other races

white supremacy

American  

[hwahyt suh-prem-uh-see, wahyt] / ˈhwaɪt səˈprɛm ə si, ˈwaɪt /

noun

1. the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.

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White supremacy British  

noun

1. the theory or belief that White people are innately superior to people of other races

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• White supremacist
  noun
• white supremacist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of white supremacy

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

"For 55 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has stood as a beacon of hope, fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice," Fair said in a video message.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

When I’m talking about, like, anti-Blackness, white supremacy, I’m not talking to Black people because Black people know it.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

The biography is strengthened by Boggs’ discovery of previously unpublished writings in Baldwin’s papers, shaping a book that explores how Baldwin “forced readers to confront the connections between white supremacy, masculinity, and sexuality.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

A mature and serious understanding of racism and white supremacy focuses on actual outcomes, public policies, impact, structures, and institutions that unfairly privilege and advantage white people over non-whites.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2024

For decades, this had been the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colors and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, nonracial government.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela