nonwhite

[ non-hwahyt, -wahyt ]

/ nɒnˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt /

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noun

a sociocultural classification of modern humans with darker pigmentation of the skin than is characteristic in people of European descent.

a person who is not a member of the group in a society with lighter colored skin; a person of color.

adjective

not belonging to the societal group marked by slight pigmentation of the skin and European descent: the nonwhite peoples of Africa and Asia;Both immigration and births contributed to nonwhite population growth in the most recent census.

of or relating to nonwhite persons or peoples.

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Origin of nonwhite

First recorded in 1920–25; non- + white

usage note for nonwhite

Use of the word nonwhite to describe a population group has sometimes been criticized for implying in its very structure that “white” is the norm and anything else is a deviation from that norm. A more affirmative descriptive term, like person(s) of color , is often appropriate, as are other specific ethnic, cultural, or national designations. However, nonwhite is still in common use, especially in contexts where the focus is on statistical analyses of populations of European ancestry as distinguished from other populations.

How to use nonwhite in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The breakdown of the 114th Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male, and 92 percent Christian.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If Congress accurately reflected our nation on the basis of race, about 63 percent would be white, not 80 percent.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There were rumors of shrieks and flashes emanating from the well, and reports of a figure in white.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The FBI raided his home in 2000 with an affidavit questioning his use of $200,000 from his white supremacist fundraising.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And she would be wearing some of the jewels with the white dress—just a few, not many, of course.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
None other would dare to show herself unveiled to a stranger, and a white man at that.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
That evening in the gondola, with one old and two newer friends, is marked with a white stone in my recollection.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for nonwhite

non-White

noun

a person not of the Caucasoid or White race

usage for non-White

This word may well cause offence. If you need to refer to people's race it may be better to specify it or else to use a phrase such as 'a person from a minority ethnic group'

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