Black Panther

American  

[blak pan-ther] / ˈblæk ˈpæn θər /

noun

1. a member of a militant African American organization Black Panther party active in the 1960s and early 1970s, formed to work for the advancement of the rights of Black people, often by radical means.

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Black Panther British  

noun

1. (in the US) a member of a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end the political dominance of White people

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Etymology

Origin of Black Panther

First recorded in 1960–65; the party was founded in Oakland, California, by political activists Huey P. Newton (1942–89) and Bobby Seale (born 1936), who modeled it on the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, an activist group in Alabama that had adopted a black panther as its symbol

Example Sentences

Three years later, he released "Black Panther," putting a rich portrait of the fictional high-tech African country Wakanda on screen -- and elevating Black representation in Hollywood.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Their collaborations have given audiences Creed and Black Panther, and now their latest film, Sinners, has delivered the biggest moment yet.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

It was the home base for the first Black Panther Party chapter outside of Oakland.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Fellow US actor Chadwick Boseman of "Black Panther" fame died from the same disease in 2020 at the age of 43.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

Most people hear Black Panther and they think of the movie, but Hana is quick to remind everyone the activists came first.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée