ethnicity

[eth-nis-i-tee]

noun

plural

ethnicities 

1. an ethnic group; a social group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.

   Representatives of several ethnicities were present.

2. ethnic traits, background, allegiance, or association.

   The graph shows class enrollment by gender and ethnicity.

ethnicity

1. Identity with or membership in a particular racial, national, or cultural group and observance of that group's customs, beliefs, and language.

Usage

race ²

Many minority groups in the United States maintain strong ethnic identity; especially in cities, immigrants are often attracted to ethnic communities established by people from their own country, communities in which many traditional cultural features are maintained. (See melting pot.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethnicity¹

First recorded in 1765–75, for earlier sense; ethnic + -ity

Example Sentences

“I think any ethnicity in an ethnic crowd always thrive,” said comic Gregory Santos.

From Los Angeles Times

Different forms of discrimination would be addressed by a specialized coordinator — one each for antisemitism, religious discrimination, race and ethnicity discrimination, gender discrimination and LGBTQ+ discrimination.

From Los Angeles Times

Third, there are Indian citizens of Nepali ethnicity - descendants of earlier waves of migration in the 18th to 20th Centuries - who are rooted in India but still claim cultural kinship with Nepal.

From BBC

“Everyone deserves a safe workplace and no one deserves to be vilified for their race or ethnicity,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

By a 6-3 vote, the justices set aside a Los Angeles judge’s temporary restraining order that barred agents from stopping people based in part on their race or apparent ethnicity.

From Los Angeles Times