plural HBCUs
: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university
the state's largest HBCU
Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.
historically Black colleges and universities
Examples of HBCU in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The project is the culmination of a five-year pilot initiative known as the HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The comic is also the founder of Black Radio Solidarity, which has organized national civic radiothons for voter engagement, HBCU fundraising, and public health campaigns.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Netflix announced Wednesday that A Different World, a sequel to the 1987-93 NBC sitcom centered on students at an HBCU, will premiere in the fall.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
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Noun
In fact, in this year’s NFL draft, not one team drafted a player who attended an HBCU.
—Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The project is the culmination of a five-year pilot initiative known as the HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The comic is also the founder of Black Radio Solidarity, which has organized national civic radiothons for voter engagement, HBCU fundraising, and public health campaigns.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Netflix announced Wednesday that A Different World, a sequel to the 1987-93 NBC sitcom centered on students at an HBCU, will premiere in the fall.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for HBCU
Cite this Entry
“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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