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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 memo, for example, primarily focuses on antifa-aligned extremism, but omits other trends that in recent years have been identified as rising domestic threats, such as violent white supremacy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Robert Jones, president of the Public Religion Research Institute and an author of books on white supremacy in American Christianity, said the strong evangelical support for Trump isn’t surprising.

From Seattle Times • May 18, 2024

By the second decade of the twentieth century, black America had come to a fork in the road and had to choose: accommodation to white supremacy or unyielding opposition to it.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson