Hispanic

[hi-span-ik]

adjective

of or relating to Spanish-speaking Latin America: the United States and its Hispanic neighbors.

Also His·pan·o

[hi-span-oh, -spah-noh] /hɪˈspæn oʊ, -ˈspɑ noʊ/. of or relating to people of Spanish-speaking descent: Hispanic students;the Hispanic vote;Hispanic communities. Compare Latino(def 1).

noun

Also called His·pan·o-A·mer·i·can [hi-span-oh-uh-mer-i-kuh n, -spah-noh] /hɪˈspæn oʊ əˈmɛr ɪ kən, -ˈspɑ noʊ/, His·pan·ic A·mer·i·can. a citizen or resident of the United States who is of Spanish or Spanish-speaking Latin-American descent. Compare Latino(def 2).

a person whose primary or native language is Spanish.

Origin of Hispanic

From the Latin word hispānicus, dating back to 1575–85. See Hispania, -ic

Related formsHis·pan·i·cal·ly, adverbnon-His·pan·ic, adjectivepre-His·pan·ic, adjectivetrans-His·pan·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hispanic

Contemporary Examples of hispanic

But at the same time, since Zimmerman, you've been hearing cases about officers killing black children—black men, Hispanic men.
Justice League Vigil for Slain NYPD Officers Asks Whose Life Matters
Olivia Nuzzi
December 22, 2014
A more recent phenomenon in the political universe is politicians of Hispanic heritage who are not fluent in Spanish.
Which Potential Candidates Speak Spanish—and Will It Matter?
Eleanor Clift
December 14, 2014
Seventy percent of Hispanic Americans reported being very or somewhat concerned about climate change, and 57 percent of blacks.
Extreme Weather? Blame the End Times
Jay Michaelson
November 28, 2014
Hispanic Republican moderate Brian Sandoval just won a landslide reelection in Nevada.
Could This Be the First Pro-Choice Republican on a National Ticket?
David Freedlander
November 20, 2014
Sen. Ted Cruz, one of two Hispanic Republicans in the Senate, accused Democrats of “pigeonholing” minority candidates.
The Republican Rainbow Coalition Is Real
Tim Mak
November 18, 2014

Historical Examples of hispanic

Even in the library of the Hispanic Society of America there is no record of him.
McClure's Magazine, Vol 31, No 2, June 1908
Various
It was situated in Hispanic Bœtica, having been built by Marcellus.
Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. I of II)
Charles Bucke
Of all the Hispanic nations, however, Brazil was easily the most stable.
The Hispanic Nations of the New World
William R. Shepherd
In 1876 these Hispanic nations stood on the threshold of a new era.
The Hispanic Nations of the New World
William R. Shepherd
One was black, the other two were white, though one might have been hispanic.
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for hispanic

Hispanic

adjective

relating to, characteristic of, or derived from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries

noun

US a person of Latin-American or Spanish descent living in the US

usage

his is the word most generally used in the US to refer to people of Latin American or Spanish ancestry

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 hispanic

Hispanic

adj.

"pertaining to Spain" (especially ancient Spain) 1580s, from Latin Hispanicus, from Hispania "Iberian Peninsula," from Hispanus "Spaniard" (see Spaniard). Specific application to Spanish-speaking parts of the New World is 1889, American English; especially applied since c.1972 to Spanish-speaking persons of Latin American descent living in U.S.