Black Panther

American  

[blak pan-ther] / ˈblæk ˈpæn θər /

noun

1. a member of a militant African American organization Black Panther party active in the 1960s and early 1970s, formed to work for the advancement of the rights of Black people, often by radical means.

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Black Panther British  

noun

1. (in the US) a member of a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end the political dominance of White people

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Etymology

Origin of Black Panther

First recorded in 1960–65; the party was founded in Oakland, California, by political activists Huey P. Newton (1942–89) and Bobby Seale (born 1936), who modeled it on the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, an activist group in Alabama that had adopted a black panther as its symbol

Example Sentences

Nyong'o won an Oscar in 2014 for 12 Years a Slave, and has also starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

He moved on to transform the Marvel universe culture with his blockbuster "Black Panther" films.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Upcoming projects include the third "Black Panther" film and a new cinematic take on "The X-Files," the 1990s hit sci-fi show about FBI agents investigating the unknown.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

The last time this animal-element combo occurred, the Vietnam War was escalating, the civil rights movement was at a crossroads and the Black Panther Party was created.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

Before the riots, the only Black Panther he cared about was T’Challa.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas