Dictionary.com
definitions

miscegenation

[ mi-sej-uh-ney-shuh n, mis-i-juh- ]
/ mɪˌsɛdʒ əˈneɪ ʃən, ˌmɪs ɪ dʒə- /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR miscegenation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

marriage or cohabitation between two people from different racial groups, especially, in the U.S., between a black person and a white person: In 1968 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that state laws prohibiting miscegenation were unconstitutional.
sexual relations between two people from different racial backgrounds that results in the conception of a mixed-race child.

RELATED CONTENT

Belligerent And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.comFrom California weed growers to the big screen, here are the news stories that had you asking, "Hey, what does that word mean?"
READ MORE
colorismRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

combination, amalgam, bastard, cross, compound, half-breed, mongrel, half-caste, crossbreed, mule, intermarriage, half-blood, incross, outcross

Nearby words

  1. miscarriage of justice,
  2. miscarry,
  3. miscast,
  4. misce,
  5. miscegenate,
  6. miscellanea,
  7. miscellaneous,
  8. miscellanist,
  9. miscellany,
  10. misch metal

Origin of miscegenation

irregular < Latin miscē(re) to mix + gen(us) race, stock, species + -ation; allegedly coined by U.S. journalist David Goodman Croly (1829–89) in a pamphlet published anonymously in 1864
Related formsmis·ce·ge·net·ic [mis-i-juh-net-ik, mi-sej-uh-] /ˌmɪs ɪ dʒəˈnɛt ɪk, mɪˌsɛdʒ ə-/, adjectivean·ti·mis·ce·ge·na·tion, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for miscegenation

British Dictionary definitions for miscegenation

miscegenation

/ (ˌmɪsɪdʒɪˈneɪʃən) /

noun

interbreeding of races, esp where differences of pigmentation are involved
Derived Formsmiscegenetic (ˌmɪsɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for miscegenation

C19: from Latin miscēre to mingle + genus race
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 miscegenation

miscegenation

n.

"interbreeding of races," 1864, coined irregularly in American English from Latin miscere "to mix" (see mix (v.)) + genus "race" (see genus).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for miscegenation

miscegenation

[ mĭ-sĕj′ə-nā′shən, mĭs′ĭ-jə- ]

n.

Marriage or sexual relations between individuals of different races.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.