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  • white supremacy
    white supremacy
    noun
    the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.
  • White supremacy
    White supremacy
    noun
    the theory or belief that White people are innately superior to people of other races

white supremacy

American  
[hwahyt suh-prem-uh-see, wahyt] / ˈhwaɪt səˈprɛm ə si, ˈwaɪt /

noun

  1. the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.


White supremacy British  

noun

  1. the theory or belief that White people are innately superior to people of other races

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of white supremacy

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70


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:

She testified before Congress in 2020 on white supremacy in the military.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

"For 55 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has stood as a beacon of hope, fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice," Fair said in a video message.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

When I’m talking about, like, anti-Blackness, white supremacy, I’m not talking to Black people because Black people know it.

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

In my forthcoming book, “Rules for Reactionaries: How to Maintain Inequality and Stop Social Justice,” I explore the language strategies used to advance white supremacy and anti-feminism across U.S. politics and culture.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2025

The notion of white supremacy rationalized the enslavement of Africans, even as whites endeavored to form a new nation based on the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

“That’s something that we really have to have to address. White supremacy is absolutely something that we have to look at as not only a hate crime issue but a national security issue.”

From Washington Times ● Sep. 15, 2022

The Black Lives Matter movement describes itself as aimed at eradicating White supremacy and interrupting violence against Black communities.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 16, 2022

"White supremacy will not have the last word," he said.

From BBC ● May 17, 2022

White supremacy is the belief that there is a white race specifically.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2021

One of the founders of the NAACP, a brilliant writer and scholar, and the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, Du Bois openly rejected assumptions of White supremacy.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014

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