1
as in segregation
the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others
Hitler's declaration of his belief in a "master race" provided irrefutable proof to the world of the inherent and dangerous racism of the Nazi movement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prejudice
hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race
the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most deplorable incidents of racism that occurred during the civil rights movement of the 1960s
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racism
Emerging data shows that COVID-19 disproportionately affects minority communities, likely due to racism’s downstream effects on socioeconomic opportunities, health outcomes and insurance coverage.
—
Isobel Rosenthal, Scientific American, 17 June 2020
Villarosa, a veteran journalist who has covered Black health and wellness for decades, begins her forceful exposure of racism’s toxic effect on the U.S.’s health system by recounting her own personal awakening.
—Julia Schimautz, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2022
Barrow asked for a definition of critical race theory, which is the study of racism’s effect on societal structures and is usually taught at the graduate level but has become shorthand to describe progressive ideas about race and gender.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2022
But increasingly, research shows differences based on race don't reflect biology, but instead structural racism's effect on health.
—Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for racism
Isobel Rosenthal, Scientific American, 17 June 2020
Villarosa, a veteran journalist who has covered Black health and wellness for decades, begins her forceful exposure of racism’s toxic effect on the U.S.’s health system by recounting her own personal awakening.
—Julia Schimautz, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2022
Barrow asked for a definition of critical race theory, which is the study of racism’s effect on societal structures and is usually taught at the graduate level but has become shorthand to describe progressive ideas about race and gender.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2022
But increasingly, research shows differences based on race don't reflect biology, but instead structural racism's effect on health.
—Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for racism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racism
Noun
-
At the time, the parish was reportedly spearheaded by Leander Perez, who championed preserving racial segregation, which ultimately led to outrage and protests.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
-
Sinners is almost two movies in one: a vampire slaughterhouse film that’s also a period piece about the near-impossibility of upward mobility in the segregation economy.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Last July, the actor-producer’s involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed with prejudice after his attorneys argued that prosecutors had buried evidence.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 May 2025
-
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, was dismissed with prejudice on Wednesday, meaning it cannot be refiled.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racism. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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