ethnocentrism
[eth-noh-sen-triz-uh m]
- Sociology. the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.
- a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own.
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Origin of ethnocentrism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ethnocentric
Historical Examples
The most intense patriots are often ethnocentric and chauvinistic.
In Dunbar, Negro literature attained an ethnocentric point of view.
Introduction to the Science of SociologyRobert E. Park
ethnocentrism
- belief in the intrinsic superiority of the nation, culture, or group to which one belongs, often accompanied by feelings of dislike for other groups
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for ethnocentric
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ethnocentrism
(ĕth′nō-sĕn′trĭz′əm)- The tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and standards of one's own ethnic group, especially with the conviction that one's own ethnic group is superior to the other groups.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ethnocentrism
[(eth-noh-sen-triz-uhm)]
The belief that one's own culture is superior to all others and is the standard by which all other cultures should be measured.
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Note
Early social scientists in the nineteenth century operated from an ethnocentric point of view. So-called primitive tribes, for example, were studied by anthropologists to illustrate how human civilization had progressed from “savage” customs toward the accomplishments of Western industrial society.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.