plural HBCUs
: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university
the state's largest HBCU

Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.

HBCU

2 of 2

abbreviation

historically Black colleges and universities

Examples of HBCU in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Portis is the latest former NFL star to join the college football coaching ranks, following Jackson to the HBCU program in Delaware. Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 The Central game will also feature activities highlighting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as Coppin State will be the first-ever HBCU team to play at Dunkin’ Park. Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 17 Feb. 2025 The college is designed to bring the experience of an attending an HBCU, or historically Black college or university, to online users. Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025 The effort to return the CIAA tournament to Charlotte was first reported by Axios Charlotte and HBCU Gameday. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for HBCU 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of HBCU was in 1980

Dictionary Entries Near HBCU

Cite this Entry

“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!