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

Nyong'o won an Oscar in 2014 for 12 Years a Slave, and has also starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Three years later, he released "Black Panther," putting a rich portrait of the fictional high-tech African country Wakanda on screen -- and elevating Black representation in Hollywood.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

"Black Panther" went on to win three Oscars, and secured a best picture nomination.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

It was the home base for the first Black Panther Party chapter outside of Oakland.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, which opposed police brutality and engaged in political and social programs in big cities, was founded that year too.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson