Hispanic

[hi-span-ik]

adjective

1. Spanish.

2. of or relating to Spanish-speaking Latin America.

   the United States and its Hispanic neighbors.

3. Also Hispano of or relating to people of Spanish-speaking descent: the Hispanic vote;

   Hispanic students;

   the Hispanic vote;

   Hispanic communities.

noun

1. Also called Hispano-American. Also called Hispanic American. a citizen or resident of the United States who is of Spanish or Spanish-speaking Latin American descent.

2. a person whose primary or native language is Spanish.

Hispanic

/ hɪˈspænɪk /

adjective

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

noun

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

Usage

Some words that describe national or ethnic identities are acceptable as plural nouns, but are more controversial as singular nouns. This is the case for Hispanic. It’s often acceptable as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Hispanics ). However, it may sometimes be less so as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Hispanic ). Such words are always perfectly appropriate as adjectives (strategies to get Hispanic voters to the polls).

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

Other Word Forms

• Hispanically adverb
• non-Hispanic adjective
• pre-Hispanic adjective
• trans-Hispanic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hispanic¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin hispānicus, “Spanish”; Hispania, -ic

Example Sentences

Brown also flagged the increase in districts where Black or Hispanic voters made up “just barely a majority” of the eligible voting population.

Read more on Salon

Once I noticed that the supermarket where I shop was churning out generic cornball Walmart country music to a staff that consisted almost entirely of Hispanic women.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The lawsuit, filed by the California Republican Party, asserts the new maps are based on racial gerrymandering, favoring Hispanic voters.

Read more on Salon

“The end result is a map that manipulates district lines in the name of bolstering the voting power of Hispanic Californians because of their race. Our Constitution does not tolerate this racial gerrymander.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Researchers also reported that the likelihood of developing diabetes or prediabetes is even higher for Hispanic and Black individuals living in economically disadvantaged settings, along with people who already have underlying health problems.

Read more on Science Daily