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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.

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White supremacy British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• White supremacist
  noun
• white supremacist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of white supremacy

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

"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

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The biography is strengthened by Boggs’ discovery of previously unpublished writings in Baldwin’s papers, shaping a book that explores how Baldwin “forced readers to confront the connections between white supremacy, masculinity, and sexuality.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

These were key aspects of the abolitionists’ post–Civil War effort to banish white supremacy from all levels of governance.

From Slate • May 23, 2024

Those developments include religious warfare, the notion that land should be private property, the concept of white supremacy, and the desire for gold.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz