white privilege

American  

[wahyt priv-uh-lij, priv-lij, hwahyt] / ˈwaɪt ˈprɪv ə lɪdʒ, ˈprɪv lɪdʒ, ˈʰwaɪt /

noun

1. the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that members of the dominant white racial group have and members of nonwhite groups do not, separate from but compounding with wealth, income, class, education, and other demographic factors that form individual identities.

   One aspect of white privilege is never thinking about your race, because most things in society are designed with whiteness as the normal default.

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Etymology

Origin of white privilege

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

As that incident triggered a long summer of protest, Cooper’s video continued to have its own impact, sparking discussion about racial bias, white privilege and the power of social media to expose stories of injustice.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2023

In it, Northam acknowledges specific instances in which he thinks white privilege boosted his career.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

This dialogue also tackles white privilege, but from a place of greater realism rather than scattershot satire.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2022

Like white students from rural Idaho who are exposed for the first time to concepts like white privilege and systemic racism, some students of color, especially from other states, endure culture shock on campus.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2022

If anyone had "white privilege", it was surely me, a descendant of Caribbean slave owners.

From BBC • May 10, 2022