Hispanic

[ hi-span-ik ]

adjective

1. Spanish ( def 1 ).
2. of or relating to Spanish-speaking Latin America:

   the United States and its Hispanic neighbors.

3. Also His·pan·o []. of or relating to people of Spanish-speaking descent: the Hispanic vote; Compare Latino ( def 1 ).

   Hispanic students;

   the Hispanic vote;

   Hispanic communities.

noun

1. Also called His·pan·o-A·mer·i·can [hi-, span, -oh-, uh, -, mer, -i-k, uh, n, -, spah, -noh],. a citizen or resident of the United States who is of Spanish or Spanish-speaking Latin American descent. Compare Latino ( def 2 ).
2. a person whose primary or native language is Spanish.

Hispanic

/ hɪˈspænɪk /

adjective

1. relating to, characteristic of, or derived from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries

noun

1. a person of Latin-American or Spanish descent living in the US

Usage Note

Some words that describe national or ethnic identities are acceptable as plural nouns, but are more controversial as singular nouns. This is the case for Hispanic. It’s often acceptable as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Hispanics ). However, it may sometimes be less so as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Hispanic ). Such words are always perfectly appropriate as adjectives (strategies to get Hispanic voters to the polls).

Usage

his is the word most generally used in the US to refer to people of Latin American or Spanish ancestry

Other Words From

• His·pan·i·cal·ly adverb
• non-His·pan·ic adjective
• pre-His·pan·ic adjective
• trans-His·pan·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hispanic¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin hispānicus, “Spanish”; Hispania, -ic

Example Sentences

Lastly, and perhaps the most important, is what and who counts as “white” that has been changing since 2000 and has incorporated some Asian and Hispanic citizens into the fold.

From Salon

His company at the time, Checkmate, made Hispanic Magazine’s “Entrepreneur 100” list.

From New York Times

But more than anything he had come to hate Hispanic migrants, who had turned his overwhelmingly white town into a nearly-half ethnic one.

From Salon

One of the police was a Hispanic man.

From Salon

"That's a group, especially working-class Hispanics, that the Democrats are really going to have to try to connect back with."

From Salon