Black Panther

American  

[blak pan-ther] / ˈblæk ˈpæn θər /

noun

1. a member of a militant African American organization Black Panther party active in the 1960s and early 1970s, formed to work for the advancement of the rights of Black people, often by radical means.

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Black Panther British  

noun

1. (in the US) a member of a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end the political dominance of White people

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Etymology

Origin of Black Panther

First recorded in 1960–65; the party was founded in Oakland, California, by political activists Huey P. Newton (1942–89) and Bobby Seale (born 1936), who modeled it on the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, an activist group in Alabama that had adopted a black panther as its symbol

Example Sentences

Jordan also collaborated with Coogler in 2018 with Black Panther where he played Erik Killmonger, one of the most memorable antagonists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Upcoming projects include the third "Black Panther" film and a new cinematic take on "The X-Files," the 1990s hit sci-fi show about FBI agents investigating the unknown.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Coogler, previously best known for "Black Panther," could become the first ever Black person to win best director, in the 98 years of Oscars history.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

The last time this animal-element combo occurred, the Vietnam War was escalating, the civil rights movement was at a crossroads and the Black Panther Party was created.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

In my mind, all these people came to the rally because our summer camp helped to spread the word The idea of radio announcements, the Black Panther newspaper, and word- of-mouth hadn’t entered my mind.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia