bigotry
Americannoun
-
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
- Synonyms:
- discrimination, bias, narrow-mindedness
-
the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bigotry
First recorded in 1665–75; bigot + -ry, formation parallel to French bigoterie
Explanation
If a person is intolerant of other ideas, races, or religions, we call that person a bigot. The intolerance expressed by that bigot is called bigotry. Bigotry is ugly. There are different types of bigotry — like religious bigotry or racist bigotry. Although bigotry can mean any form of intolerance or prejudice, when the word is used alone, it is most often understood to mean racial bigotry. The bigotry behind Jim Crow laws that separated races in the 1950s seems unbelievable to most modern teenagers.
Vocabulary lists containing bigotry
March: Book One
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Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
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Friday Night Lights
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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.
“America must choose benevolence over bigotry. And crush Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred in any form.”
From Washington Times • Oct. 31, 2023
"Those views are absolutely appalling. I don’t support those views, that kind of intolerance, that kind of hatred, bigotry. It is just wrong," he told reporters.
From Reuters • Oct. 5, 2022
“We heard blatant racism. We heard bigotry. We heard homophobia, you name it, and we are there for hours just listening to that,” said Edwards, a retired entrepreneur.
From Washington Post • May 6, 2022
He went on to say that Mr. Tynan had apologized, and wanted “to be a soldier in the struggle against bigotry. What else can you ask for?”
From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2020
"There is no room in these hallowed halls for the bigotry. We must lead by example," Pelosi told reporters in a news conference Thursday.
From Fox News • Jun. 18, 2020
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.
