ethnocentric

American  

[eth-noh-sen-trik] / ˌɛθ noʊˈsɛn trɪk /

adjective

1. Sociology. demonstrating a belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture.

   Sadly, an ethnocentric macho attitude is often mistaken for patriotism.

2. viewing other ethnic or cultural groups through the lens of one’s own.

   Diversity of cultures helps to liberate us from the tunnel vision of an ethnocentric viewpoint.

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Other Word Forms

• ethnocentrically adverb
• ethnocentricity noun

Etymology

Origin of ethnocentric

ethno- ( def. ) + -centric ( def. )

Explanation

Someone who's ethnocentric judges other cultures by comparing them to his own, familiar culture. An ethnocentric American might compare all the cities of the world to New York City, overlooking their unique charms. If you use the standards of your own culture to judge another culture, you're being ethnocentric. One example of this is the mentality that all places should be like one's own country. The word ethnocentric takes the Greek prefix ethno-, "people or nation," and combines it with kentrikos, "center." It was originally a social science term, but it gained popularity in the second half of the 20th century.

Example Sentences

Arguably the most problematic of these ethnocentric myths involves what’s often called the most important invention of the last millennium: the celebration of Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg as the inventor of movable metal type.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023

Altogether, by adopting the cultural neuroscience approach, we may keep our cultural preconceptions and biases at bay, thereby making our science less ethnocentric.

From Scientific American • May 15, 2023

The way we perceive the timing is very ethnocentric.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2022

Local Black and Indigenous communities organized independent ethnocentric schools.

From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2020

How could these hierarchical, acquisitive, market-oriented, monotheistic, ethnocentric newcomers have absorbed ideas and customs from the egalitarian, reciprocal, noncapitalistic, pantheistic, ethnocentric natives?

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann