a practice or policy of segregating or discriminating against Black people, as in public places, public vehicles, or employment.
Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.
favoring or supporting a segregationist or discriminatory policy of Jim Crow.
for Black people only.
a Jim Crow school.
the policy or practice of segregating Black people
( as modifier )
jim-crow laws
a derogatory term for a Black person
( as modifier )
a jim-crow saloon
an implement for bending iron bars or rails
a crowbar fitted with a claw
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; so called from the name of a song sung by Thomas Rice (1808–60) in a minstrel show
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These explored difficult aspects of American history — including slavery and Jim Crow — but also touched on more personal themes of family, memory, magic and spirituality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Jim Crow Era ushered in a new kind of slavery but eventually galvanized Congress to establish some of its most impactful legislation, in the VRA and the Civil Rights Act.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Mary Porter is worried by the Supreme Court's ruling and says "we don't want those kind of laws, Jim Crow laws, to come back"
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
These powerful words were read and re-read during the worst days of Jim Crow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
In many respects, the reality of mass incarceration is easier to avoid knowing than the injustices and sufferings associated with slavery or Jim Crow.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
His arms had been laden with T shirts reading jim crow must go.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
