Ebonics
noun
Jump To:
Ebonics
American
[ih-bon-iks]
/ ɪˈbɒn ɪks /
Or
ebonics
noun
(used with a singular verb)
ebonics
British
/ ɪˈbɒnɪks /
noun
Etymology
Origin of Ebonics
An Americanism first recorded in 1970–75; blend of ebony and phonics
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Next up was Micah Bournes, 35, who drove from Long Beach to perform “Native Tongue,” a spoken-word poem on cultural assimilation and Ebonics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
The demand upholds the organization’s earlier statement that Ebonics communicates Black traditions and social truths.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021
Some people also refer to this language, steeped in both English and West African linguistic patterns, as slang and/or Ebonics.
From Time ● Jan. 30, 2015
When the Oakland, California, school board approved Ebonics for use in its schools in 1996, a flurry of public figures condemned the decision.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2014
But he knows this could be a controversial issue, reminiscent of the Ebonics debate decades ago.
From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2012
In the 1970s, scholars settled on ebonics, a blend of the words ebony and phonics, “to give weight and validity to our particular dialect,” Harris said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Many of Lee’s undisclosed writings touched on controversial topics, including affirmative action, politics on college campuses, abortion, gay rights and ebonics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2019
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
