one-drop rule

American

[wuhn-drop rool] / ˈwʌnˈdrɒp ˌrul /

noun

U.S. History. a social classification, codified in law in some states during the 20th century, that identifies biracial or multiracial individuals as Black if they have any known Black African ancestry, even from a Black ancestor many generations removed.

Etymology

Origin of one-drop rule

First recorded in 1920–25 (as one-drop law ); from the ideology that “one drop” of Black African blood made a person Black

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Firstly, there is no one-drop rule for sexuality.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2020

That means one of their foremothers or -fathers, within the past six generations, would be classified as African American if the one-drop rule were still enforced.

From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023