anti-racist

IPA/ˈantiɹˈeɪsɪst/
IPA/ˈæntaɪɹˈeɪsɪst/

anti-racist — adjective

1. taking action to stop people from being treated badly due to their race

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

taking action to stop people from being treated badly due to their race

Example

Mei joined an anti-racist group at work to make hiring fair for everyone.

anti-racist group

An anti-racist poster went up in the library showing children of different races playing.

Common collocations
  • anti-racist group
  • anti-racist movement
  • anti-racist policy
  • anti-racist education
  • anti-racist training
Synonyms
  • anti-discrimination

    broader — opposes all forms of unfair treatment, not only race-based

  • egalitarian

    describes a general belief in equality; more formal and less action-oriented

Antonyms
  • racist

    direct opposite — supports or allows unfair treatment based on race

Grammar Patterns

anti-racist + noun

Usage Note

Often used before a noun (anti-racist policy, anti-racist education) or after 'be' (is anti-racist).

Common Mistakes

This is an anti-racism policy.
This is an anti-racist policy.
'anti-racism' is the movement; use 'anti-racist' as the adjective.

anti-racist — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

The adjective 'anti-racist' means actively opposing unfair treatment based on race. 'Anti-discrimination' is broader — it applies to unfair treatment based on gender, age, disability, and other factors, not just race. 'Inclusive' focuses on making sure everyone feels welcomed and represented, which overlaps with anti-racist work but emphasises belonging rather than active opposition to wrongs. 'Egalitarian' expresses a general belief that all humans are equal; it is more formal and describes a principle rather than active effort. 'Tolerant' is weaker — it suggests allowing differences without necessarily fighting against injustice.

anti-discrimination ↗inclusive ↗egalitarian ↗tolerant ↗

Etymology

GreekItalianFrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against', from Greek via French and Latin) and 'racist' (from 'race', which entered English through French from Italian 'razza', combined with the suffix '-ist' meaning a person who holds certain beliefs). The term gained wide use in the mid-20th century during the civil rights era and has become more common again since the early 2000s.