bigot
Americannoun
-
bigots
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bigot
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French, from Old French: a derogatory name applied by the French to the Normans, perhaps from Old English bī God “by God”
Compare meaning
How does bigot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A bigot is someone who doesn't tolerate people of different backgrounds or opinions. Someone who tells a racist joke might be labeled a bigot. A bigot can also be someone who refuses to accept other ideas, as in politics. This word was borrowed from Middle French, but the French word is of uncertain origin. In Old French bigot was a term of abuse for Normans, and possibly related to the oath bi got "by God." In English and French, a bigot was originally a hypocrite, a person who claims to have certain moral beliefs but whose behavior doesn't match those beliefs. A bigot was specifically a hypocritical professor of religion, but the connection with the current sense of bigot is not clear.
Vocabulary lists containing bigot
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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:
“To call Jeremy Carl a radical and a bigot and unqualified is all far too kind.”
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
The best, and most popular, of these was Norman Lear’s generation-gap sitcom “All in the Family,” starring Carroll O’Connor as retrograde bigot Archie Bunker, and Rob Reiner as his liberal son-in-law, Mike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
“When a news organization says you’re a racist, bigot, whatever, people believe them,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
“I do think she is a bigot, but first I would say that she is uneducated.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
What does a bigot do when he meets someone who challenges his opinions?
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
And they certainly don’t want to be made to feel like bigots for raising those concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
The demographic classification itself is extremely broad, encompassing white and Indigenous and Afro-Latinos, long-conservative anti-leftist refugees from Venezuela and Cuba, Democratic-loyal Mexican Americans, immigrants, U.S.–born citizens, bigots and progressives, Catholics and Protestants and atheists.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2025
Nigel Farage has said "bigots" and "extremists" are not welcome in Reform UK, as he seeks to "professionalise" the party after its election success.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2024
It presumes that the feelings of real or imagined bigots who might take umbrage at such an image are of paramount importance, and that everyone else's freedoms must be curtailed to appease them.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2023
And you don’t like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
