supremacist
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of supremacist
First recorded in 1945–50; supremac(y) + -ist
Explanation
A supremacist is someone who believes that one race, religion, ethnicity, or other group is superior to all others. In the 1960s, civil rights activists combatted the ideas and policies of white supremacists. The word supremacist first appeared in the mid-20th century in the sense of "white supremacist," and that is still the most common use of the word. Supremacist comes from the word supremacy, "the condition of being superior to all others," and ultimately from the Latin word supremus, "highest." Supremacists believe they are the best, or highest, typically because of their race or ethnicity.
Vocabulary lists containing supremacist
Undercover Latina
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Speeches 2A
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White Lies
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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.
La Liga president Javier Tebas, who has been openly at odds with Perez for several years, criticised the "messianic, sectarian, supremacist" tone of the Madrid chief, in a post on X.
From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025
He cited in particular his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
From Slate • Nov. 8, 2025
The term "white nationalist" is often used interchangeably with "white supremacist," but it has a specific meaning.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2025
He cited events like 9/11, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016 and even the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., as some of the collective traumas that generation has had to reckon with.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2024
If Pamela is a white supremacist, she’s done a pretty good job hiding it.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
