nonwhite
[ non-hwahyt, -wahyt ]
/ nɒnˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt /
|
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.
RELATED CONTENT
Nearby words
- nonviscous,
- nonvital pulp,
- nonvolatile,
- nonvoter,
- nonvoting,
- nonwoody,
- nonword,
- nonworking,
- nonwoven,
- nonyl alcohol
Origin of nonwhite
Usage note
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for non-white
non-White
noun
a person not of the Caucasoid or White race
usage
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