racism

Unfair treatment of people, or negative beliefs about them, because of their race or ethnic background.

• She experienced racism at work.
• The players reported racism from some fans.
• How can schools help children challenge racism?

How to use it: racism against someone (The group campaigns against racism against immigrants.)

Similar words: racial prejudice, racial discrimination

Common phrases: face racism, experience racism, racism against someone

Rules or ways of running society that give people of certain races power over others.

• They fought racism in the school system.
• The report exposed institutional racism in housing.
• New laws helped challenge the racism built into public services.

Similar words: racial discrimination

Common phrases: institutional racism, structural racism, fight racism

The belief that race determines people’s abilities and that some races are naturally better than others.

• Racism shaped his beliefs about other people.
• The writer rejected the racism behind those theories.
• Their arguments rested on racism rather than evidence.

Common phrases: reject racism, challenge racism, belief in racism

A particular thing someone does or says that treats people unfairly because of their race.

• Was that comment a racism?
• He called his careless joke a racism.
• She described the awkward remark as an accidental racism.

Similar words: racist act

Common phrases: accidental racism, casual racism, a racism