supremacist
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Anderson's film, which depicts the hunt for former far-left revolutionaries by a white supremacist, seems destined for the best picture Oscar, having already secured numerous awards.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
He cited in particular his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2025
A left-wing activist told me he personally knows about 30 people who’ve gone undercover in militias or white supremacist groups.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 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
He offered pro bono legal aid to farm worker groups in the Central Valley and won headline-making settlements for police brutality victims in Orange County, from Latina immigrants to white supremacists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
The new Islamic nation—whose name means “land of the pure”—immediately attracted an eclectic international cast of characters, including Islamists and Muslim supremacists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
At this year's awards, held on March 15, Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" -- a wild tale of leftist revolutionaries, white supremacists and immigrant detention centers -- was crowned as best picture.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
In 1988, the U.S. government tried 14 white supremacists for seditious conspiracy at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
From Slate ● Jan. 21, 2025
It was Malcolm’s intention to raise Negro militancy to a new high point with the main thrust aimed at both the Southern and Northern white supremacists.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
