Hispanic

American  

[hi-span-ik] / hɪˈspæn ɪk /

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.

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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 British  

/ hɪˈspænɪk /

adjective

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of Hispanic

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

Example Sentences

And all my Hispanic girls are like, “You have to see Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G!”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Hispanic patients showed a stronger association between elevated NLR and dementia risk, though it remains unclear whether this reflects genetic influences or social factors such as differences in access to care.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

Racial background played a significant role, with 62% of White Catholics voting for Donald Trump and 37% for Kamala Harris, while 41% of Hispanic Catholics voted Trump and 58% Harris.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Now, Acevedo said, she feels betrayed by a settlement that ignores Hispanic consumers like her.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Roughly half of the students are African American; the rest are Hispanic.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell