hyperdescent

[ hahy-per-di-sent ]

noun

1. the classifying or identifying of a biracial or multiracial individual as a member of the higher or highest socially ranking racial group from which that person has ancestry.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hyperdescent¹

First recorded in 2005–10; hyper- ( def ) + descent ( def )

Example Sentences

In contrast, many parts of Latin America, like Brazil or Mexico, assign race by the opposite process, hyperdescent.

From The Daily Beast