white supremacy

noun

1
: the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
The alt-right is a reactionary conservative movement … . It is characterized by an embrace of fascism, white supremacy, and misogyny …Constance Grady
2
: the social, economic, and political systems that collectively enable white people to maintain power over people of other races
… [William] Kelley turned his considerable intellect and imagination to the question of what it is like to be white in this country, and what it is like, for all Americans, to live under the conditions of white supremacyKathryn Schulz

Examples of white supremacy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But the campaign has been accused and criticized for promoting white supremacy and phrases coded in the language of eugenics. Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 Pretty soon after it was posted online, several social media users on X, TikTok, and elsewhere criticized the ad for seemingly endorsing fat-phobic beauty standards and white supremacy. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 28 July 2025 Gill and other opponents of diversity programs need to learn about these particular manifestations of white supremacy too. Shaun Harper, Mercury News, 16 July 2025 Counter or contextualizing histories that challenge white supremacy, like Paul Ortiz’s An African American History and Latinx History of the United States, are also on the chopping block. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for white supremacy

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of white supremacy was in 1824

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Cite this Entry

“White supremacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20supremacy. Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

white supremacy

noun
: the belief that the white race is superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
white supremacist noun

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