white privilege

American  

[wahyt priv-uh-lij, priv-lij, hwahyt] / ˈwaɪt ˈprɪv ə lɪdʒ, ˈprɪv lɪdʒ, ˈʰwaɪt /

noun

1. the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that members of the dominant white racial group have and members of nonwhite groups do not, separate from but compounding with wealth, income, class, education, and other demographic factors that form individual identities.

   One aspect of white privilege is never thinking about your race, because most things in society are designed with whiteness as the normal default.

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Etymology

Origin of white privilege

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

In it, Northam acknowledges specific instances in which he thinks white privilege boosted his career.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

Many aspects of the story deal directly and indirectly with white privilege and class differences.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2022

If anyone had "white privilege", it was surely me, a descendant of Caribbean slave owners.

From BBC • May 10, 2022

Tim Wise is an author, activist and leading expert on white privilege and racism.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2022

I remember an essay you wrote in 2015 about white privilege, with the headline: “Why I Almost Slapped a Fellow Theater Patron, and What That Says About Our Theaters.”

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2022