
Related to Hispanic: Hispanic Heritage Month


1. A Spanish-speaking person.
2. A US citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish ancestry.

[Latin Hispānicus, from Hispānia, Spain.]
Usage Note: Though often used interchangeably in American English, Hispanic and Latino are not identical terms. Hispanic, from the Latin word for "Spain," has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that might sometimes seem to have little else in common. Latino—which in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericano—refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to Spanish-speaking residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word. · A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical divide between Latino and Hispanic in American usage. For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. And Hispanic, tied etymologically to Spain rather than the Americas, is sometimes held to be associated with conquest and colonization, whereas Latino evokes the broad mix of Latin American peoples. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal, and the division in usage seems as related to geography as it is to politics, with Latino widely preferred in California and Hispanic the more usual term in Florida and Texas. Even in these regions, however, usage is often mixed, and it is not uncommon to find both terms used by the same writer or speaker. See Usage Note at Chicano.


1. (Placename) relating to, characteristic of, or derived from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries
2. (Peoples) relating to, characteristic of, or derived from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries
3. (Languages) relating to, characteristic of, or derived from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries
(Peoples) US a person of Latin-American or Spanish descent living in the US
Usage: Hispanic is the word most generally used in the US to refer to people of Latin American or Spanish ancestry


(hɪˈspæn ɪk)

1. of or pertaining to Spain or Spanish-speaking countries.
2. Also, Hispan′ic-Amer′ican. of or pertaining to Hispanics.
3. Also, Hispan′ic Amer′ican. a U.S. citizen or resident of Spanish or Latin-American descent.
[1575–85; < Latin hispānicus. See Hispania, -ic]
His•pan′i•cal•ly, adv.
usage: The terms Hispanic and Latino have the same meaning, though Latino is more informal. Both terms more commonly refer to a person from Latin America rather than one from Spain.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.Hispanic - an American whose first language is SpanishHispanic - an American whose first language is Spanish
American - a native or inhabitant of the United States
Adj.1.Hispanic - related to a Spanish-speaking people or culture; "the Hispanic population of California is growing rapidly"


A. ADJhispánico; (within US) → hispano
B. N (within US) → hispano/a m/f


nhispanique mf


adjhispanisch; communityspanisch
nHispanoamerikaner(in) m(f)
References in periodicals archive ?
WASHINGTON, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the eve of Super Tuesday, the Hispanic Leadership Network released its "Top Facts about Hispanics in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.
In a move to meet the needs of Westchester's rapidly growing Hispanic community, the leaders of The Westchester County Association (WCA) and the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (WHCC) announced plans to form a formal partnership.
These themes are illustrated by discussing the findings of a comparative survey of welfare service barriers experienced by Haitian and Hispanic welfare clients in Miami-Dade county.
We celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15.
Next, CEOs and their top management teams need to adopt the right motivation for Hispanic business development efforts.
The launch of Latina Life, an exclusive clothing line, is just the latest venture in an industrywide scramble to romance the burgeoning Hispanic population.
Over the past twenty-eight years during my involvement with the HBCT, the convention has focused primarily on first-generation Hispanic Baptists but has also opened itself to bilingual and bicultural or acculturated Hispanics during various periods of its history.
The Level of Financial Stability (LOFS[R]) among Hispanics is an index used to determine the level of financial stability among Hispanic consumers.
1) The national Hispanic teenage birthrate is twice that of non-Hispanic whites, (2) and in California, Hispanic adolescents are four times more likely than whites to become parents.
These children are on their way to two weeks of summer camp, but for many parents in this heavily Hispanic neighborhood that is a frightful thought.
Numerous scholars (Alvirez, Bean, & Williams, 1981; Cervantes & Castro, 1985; Gomez, 1987; Keefe, 1980; Marin & Marin, 1990; Marin, Otero-Sabogal, Marin, & Perez-Stable, 1987; Mikawa, Morones, Gomez, Case, Olsen, & Gonzalez-Huss, 1992; Rogler, Malgady, Costantino, & Blumenthal, 1987) have described Hispanic culture as one which is oriented toward strong personal, family, and community ties.

Full browser ?