latinx

latinx — adjective

IPA/ˌlæˈtiː.neks/
IPA/ˌlæˈtiː.neks/
  • latinxpositive
  • more latinxcomparative
  • most latinxsuperlative

1. describes people, things, or qualities connected to Latin America or to those wh

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes people, things, or qualities connected to Latin America or to those whose families originally come from there — the term avoids marking someone as male or female by replacing the gendered endings of the words Latino and Latina

Example

Emeka joined the Latinx student association during his first week at university.

Latinx + noun for gender-neutral description

The festival celebrates Latinx culture through music, food, and dance.

Common collocations
  • Latinx community
  • Latinx culture
  • Latinx students
  • Latinx artists
  • Latinx voters
Synonyms
  • Latine

    a gender-neutral alternative using -e instead of -x; more widely accepted in Spanish-speaking countries because the -e ending fits Spanish phonology naturally

Grammar Patterns

Latinx + noun

Usage Note

Primarily used in the United States; less common in Latin America itself. Some people prefer the alternative 'Latine,' which follows Spanish pronunciation more naturally. Use only as an attributive adjective, directly before a noun.

Common Mistakes

She belongs to a Latinxs student group.
She belongs to a Latinx student group.
As an adjective, 'Latinx' never takes a plural -s; the following noun shows number instead.

latinx — noun

IPA/læˈtiːneks/
IPA/læˈtiːneks/

Word family

  • Latine
    adjective / nounB2
  • Latino
    adjective / nounB1
  • Latina
    adjective / nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four terms all describe people of Latin American heritage, but they differ in gender marking and scope. Latino and Latina are the traditional Spanish-derived forms that specify gender: Latino for men (and mixed-gender groups in Spanish convention), Latina for women. Latinx and Latine are gender-neutral alternatives that avoid this binary — Latinx is common in US academic and activist writing, while Latine is gaining ground in Spanish-speaking countries because the -e ending fits Spanish phonology. Hispanic emphasises Spanish-language ancestry; it includes people from Spain but excludes Brazil (a Portuguese-speaking country), making it a more linguistically focused label than the geography-based Latin American terms. In everyday US English, Hispanic and Latino/Latina are often used interchangeably, but Latinx signals a deliberate choice to use inclusive language.

Latino ↗Latina ↗LatineHispanic ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • identify as Latinx

Etymology

SpanishEnglish

Formed in the early 2000s within US-based LGBTQ+ and activist communities by replacing the gendered Spanish endings -o (Latino) and -a (Latina) with the letter 'x,' which symbolises an unknown or unspecified gender. The 'x' follows the pattern of other gender-neutral coinages such as the title 'Mx.' (used instead of Mr. or Ms.). The term spread through university campuses, social media, and activist organisations throughout the 2010s.