racist
HighFormal, semi-formal, informal (primarily used in critical or descriptive contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A person who believes in the superiority of one race over others, or who holds prejudice against people based on their race.
Describing policies, actions, ideas, or language that discriminate against or show prejudice towards individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always carries a negative connotation and is a strong term of condemnation. It can apply to individuals, systems, policies, or language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The core meaning and usage are identical. The verb form "to racist" is non-standard and rarely used.
Connotations
Identically negative and condemnatory in both varieties. The associated discourse around systemic vs. individual racism may vary slightly in public debate.
Frequency
Very high frequency in sociopolitical discourse in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be] a racist[be] racist against + [group][be] accused of being racist[hold] racist viewsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not commonly used in idioms due to its literal gravity]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contexts of workplace discrimination, diversity training, and HR policies.
Academic
Frequent in sociology, political science, history, and critical theory to analyze systems, ideologies, and individual prejudice.
Everyday
Common in discussions of social issues, news, and personal experiences of discrimination.
Technical
Used in legal contexts (e.g., hate speech laws) and social science research with specific definitions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Non-standard/rare] He was accused of trying to racist his way into the club. (Informal, critical)
American English
- [Non-standard/rare] The policy effectively racists against minority applicants. (Informal, critical)
adverb
British English
- [Extremely rare and non-standard] He didn't mean it racistly. (Use 'in a racist way' instead)
American English
- [Extremely rare and non-standard] The character was portrayed racistly. (Use 'in a racist manner' instead)
adjective
British English
- His comments were widely condemned as deeply racist.
- The company was sued over its racist hiring practices.
American English
- She called out the racist imagery in the advertisement.
- Laws were passed to combat racist housing policies.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- It is wrong to be racist.
- He is not a nice person; he is racist.
- The government condemned the racist attacks in the city.
- Her racist jokes made everyone uncomfortable.
- The report uncovered systemic racist practices within the institution.
- He was accused of harbouring racist sentiments against immigrants.
- The author deconstructs the racist underpinnings of the colonial-era text.
- Policymakers must address the racist disparities in healthcare outcomes.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: RACE + IST (like 'specialist') -> a person who focuses on race in a harmful, prejudiced way.
Conceptual Metaphor
RACISM IS A DISEASE/CONTAMINATION (e.g., 'a racist ideology infected the group', 'root out racism'), RACISM IS A BARRIER/WALL (e.g., 'systemic racism blocks progress').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'расист' (direct cognate, same core meaning).
- Be aware that 'националист' (nationalist) has a different, though sometimes overlapping, semantic field in Russian.
- The English term is applied to systems and language, not just individuals.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He racists against them' - incorrect). The correct verb is 'discriminate'.
- Confusing 'racist' (prejudice based on race) with 'xenophobic' (prejudice against foreigners).
- Misspelling as 'rasist'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the primary use of 'racist' as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often discussed in contexts of white supremacy, the term can apply to prejudice exhibited by any racial or ethnic group against another.
'Racial' is a neutral adjective relating to race (e.g., racial diversity). 'Racist' is a negative term implying prejudice or discrimination based on race.
Yes. In sociological and legal contexts, 'racist' or 'racially discriminatory' can describe policies that have a disproportionately negative impact on a racial group, regardless of the original intent.
Yes. The abstract noun is 'racism'. A 'racist' is a person who practices or believes in racism.
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