nonwhite
[ non-wahyt, -hwahyt ]
/ nɒnˈwaɪt, -ˈʰwaɪt /
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adjective
of or relating to a person or people who are not members of the sociocultural classification marked by slight pigmentation of the skin and associated with European descent: Both immigration and births contributed to nonwhite population growth in the most recent census.
noun
a person who is not a member of the sociocultural classification marked by slight pigmentation of the skin and associated with European descent; a person of color.
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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. It is generally more acceptable as an adjective (strategies to get nonwhite voters to the polls) than as a noun (a candidate favored by nonwhites; the candidate who is a nonwhite ).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use nonwhite in a sentence
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
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