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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

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

"If it wasn't clear, I very much denounce Nazi-ism and white supremacy," the singer emphasized in her statement.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2025

Taylor agrees that white supremacy runs through Palm Springs’s history and that white residents today must be willing to own up to that legacy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2024

You will read more about the US history of settler colonialism, white supremacy, slavery, genocide, and land theft in later chapters.

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