ethnic minority

IPA/ˌeθnɪk maɪˈnɒrəti/
IPA/ˌeθnɪk maɪˈnɔːrəti/

ethnic minority — noun

1. people within a country who share cultural traditions, a religion, or a language

1.nounB2
Definition

people within a country who share cultural traditions, a religion, or a language that sets them apart from the larger population, and who may experience unequal treatment or limited representation as a result

Example

The mayor's office met with ethnic minority leaders to discuss new housing policies.

collocation: ethnic minority leaders / community / population

Samir grew up in a neighborhood where several ethnic minority groups shared a community center.

plural: ethnic minority groups

Common collocations
  • ethnic minority group
  • ethnic minority community
  • ethnic minority population
  • ethnic minority rights
  • ethnic minority leader
  • ethnic minority language
  • ethnic minority background
  • belong to an ethnic minority
  • member of an ethnic minority
Synonyms
  • minority group

    broader term that can include non-ethnic minorities such as religious or linguistic groups

  • ethnic group

    focuses on shared cultural heritage without specifying minority status; can describe a majority group too

  • cultural community

    softer, community-focused term often used in policy documents

Antonyms
  • ethnic majority

    the dominant cultural group in a society, often holding more political or economic power

  • mainstream population

    the general population whose cultural norms shape public institutions

Grammar Patterns

ethnic minority + noun (modifier)

ethnic minority + verb (plural agreement)

from the + ethnic minority

Usage Note

Frequently used in the plural form (ethnic minorities) when referring to multiple groups. Can also function as an attributive modifier before nouns — for example, ethnic minority population, ethnic minority community, or ethnic minority rights. In official or academic contexts, the term 'ethnic minority' is preferred over older, less specific terms.

Common Mistakes

The city has many minorities.
The city has many ethnic minorities.
Without 'ethnic', the word 'minorities' is vague and could refer to any numerical minority, such as age or religious groups.
She is an ethnic.
She is a member of an ethnic minority.
'Ethnic' is an adjective, not a noun; you cannot call a person 'an ethnic'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Ethnic minority is more specific than minority group, which can also describe religious, linguistic, or age-based minorities. Ethnic group is broader and does not imply numerical or power imbalance — the Han Chinese are an ethnic group in China, but not a minority. Cultural community has a positive, inclusive tone and is often used in grant writing or outreach contexts, but it lacks the legal and political weight of ethnic minority. Marginalized group shifts the focus to social exclusion and can apply across many categories. In everyday usage, ethnic minority is the standard term in census forms, human rights reports, and news coverage of discrimination or cultural representation.

minority groupethnic groupcultural communitymarginalized group

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • member of an ethnic minority
  • belong to an ethnic minority
  • come from an ethnic minority background
  • rights of ethnic minorities

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The adjective ethnic comes from the Greek ethnos, meaning 'nation' or 'people', and entered English through Latin and French in the 15th century. The noun minority comes from the Latin minor ('smaller') via French minorité. The compound term ethnic minority emerged in the early 20th century in sociology and anthropology to describe groups within a larger nation-state that maintain distinct cultural traditions.