replacement theory

American  

[ri-pleys-muhnt thee-uh-ree, theer ee] / rɪˈpleɪs mənt ˌθi ə ri, ˌθɪər i /

noun

1. a demographic conspiracy theory popular among white nationalists in the United States and Europe that speculates that falling birthrates among white, native-born Christians, together with a growing population of nonwhite, non-Christian immigrants, whose arrival is believed to be encouraged or orchestrated by globalist elites with the goal of undermining national identities, will, if unchecked, result in the decline of white European culture or its dominance.

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Etymology

Origin of replacement theory

First recorded in 1900–05 as a medical term; current sense dates to 2015–20; partly based on L’Abécédaire de l’in-nocence ( The Abecedarium of No-Harm, 2010) and Le Grand Remplacement ( The Great Replacement, 2011), books by Renaud Camus, French novelist, white nationalist, and conspiracy theorist (born 1945)

Example Sentences

A black box warning is the most serious caution the Food and Drug Administration can put on a medication, and its inclusion on hormone replacement theory, or HRT, put a severe chill on its use.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2025

Greitens ignored questions about replacement theory but called the mass shooting in Buffalo “truly horrific” in a written statement.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2022

When asked about his colleagues who have repeated elements of replacement theory, he added: “Nobody should be giving voice to or support in any way to some of these things.”

From New York Times • May 16, 2022

About 60% of the extremist killings in the U.S. between 2009 and 2019 were committed by people espousing white supremacist ideologies such as replacement theory, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2022

Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch responded by falsely claiming that "Mr. Carlson decried and rejected replacement theory."

From Salon • Aug. 21, 2021