Hispanic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to Spanish-speaking Latin America.
the United States and its Hispanic neighbors.
-
Also Hispano of or relating to people of Spanish-speaking descent: the Hispanic vote;
Hispanic students;
the Hispanic vote;
Hispanic communities.
noun
-
Hispanics
plural
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Also called Hispano-American. Also called Hispanic American. a citizen or resident of the United States who is of Spanish or Spanish-speaking Latin American descent.
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a person whose primary or native language is Spanish.
adjective
noun
Usage
Some words that describe national or ethnic identities are acceptable as plural nouns, but are more controversial as singular nouns. This is the case for Hispanic. It’s often acceptable as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Hispanics ). However, it may sometimes be less so as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Hispanic ). Such words are always perfectly appropriate as adjectives (strategies to get Hispanic voters to the polls).
his is the word most generally used in the US to refer to people of Latin American or Spanish ancestry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Hispanic
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin hispānicus, “Spanish”; see Hispania, -ic
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:
Physical activity was particularly associated with slower cognitive decline among Hispanic participants, while lower fasting blood glucose levels were linked to slower cognitive decline among non-Hispanic white participants.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Hispanic older adults face a disproportionate burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Amazon says “25% are owned by Black or Hispanic entrepreneurs, 10% are veteran-owned, and 10% are graduates of our Road to Ownership program”—a company initiative that helps high-performing employees become business owners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
"His background is everything - European, African-American, Hispanic and indigenous as well," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
There was also a visible and identifiable Hispanic professional class.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Becerra’s support grew among key constituent groups, and he now carries 44% of Democrats, 36% of Hispanics and 36% of women.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
Senate with a strong performance in counties that boast the highest share of Hispanics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Instrumental to Rehmet’s victory was the backing he received from Hispanics, who account for slightly more than one in five eligible voters in the district.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2026
That figure is around 30% for Hispanics, who are 37% of the US Catholic population.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025
In 1983, a year after the implementation of court-ordered desegregation, the proportion of white students was 59 percent and that of Hispanics 36 percent.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
