Latinx

adjective

La·tinx

primarily a written form ;

often read as

lə-ˈtē-ˌneks

see usage note below

: of, relating to, or marked by Latin American heritage : latine

—used as a gender-neutral alternative to Latina or Latino

… the oldest of three girls in a tightknit Latinx family …—

Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown

During her victory speech last night, the activist … thanked the district's primarily Latinx community for their trust in her vision for America.—

Kat Armstrong

… the first openly LGBTQ Latinx person elected governor in the US …—

Terrance Heath

Latinx noun

plural Latinx or Latinxs

The 2010 Census had separate categories for racial identity and "Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin." The text notes, "Latinx is not a race. However, a majority of Latinxs consider it part of their racial identity." —

Mark Jenkins

Usage of Latine and Latinx

Latine and Latinx are both used as gender-neutral alternatives to feminine Latina and masculine Latino. Each is formed by replacing the grammatically gendered -a and -o Spanish endings with a gender-neutral ending. Latinx, which was coined first, uses the English x (as in the gender-neutral courtesy title Mx.) to denote an unspecified or variable gender. Latine applies the Spanish -e, denoting an unspecified gender, as in estudiante ("student") and prudente ("sensible"). Objections to Latinx are common among people of Latin American heritage and most frequently relate to the fact that the term does not follow regular Spanish word formation and is therefore not easily adopted by many of the people it describes.

Examples of Latinx 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.

Slam poet Acevedo’s debut novel chronicles the life of Xiomara Batista—a.k.a. X—a Black, Latinx 15-year-old living in Harlem with her very Catholic parents. —

Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024 Not everyone would think about a triennial focused on contemporary Latinx art so expansively. —

Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024 This charge is being led in large part by bakers riffing and building on traditional Latinx recipes to craft creative pan dulce. —

Emily Wilson, Bon Appétit, 16 Dec. 2024 An election year like this one will only exacerbate that, and Latinx people will especially be feeling it. —

Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Latinx