non-white

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly nonwhite
1
: not of a white race (see race entry 1 sense 1a)
non-white immigrants
non-white Alaskans
2
: not of the color white
… I was standing at the very top of the ladder and stretching to paint over the last non-white spot on the ceiling …Xaver Bayer

non-white

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly nonwhite
plural non-whites also nonwhites
: a person who is not of a white race (see race entry 1 sense 1a)

Examples of non-white in a Sentence

Noun The program is even less popular among nonwhites.
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.
Adjective
Federal demographic disclosures released by the company show that the company has become more female and less white since 2020, but the shift is in line with workforce trends in the food service industry that has long been predominantly female and non-white, a USA TODAY analysis showed. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 These statements seem to suggest that DEI exists in opposition to excellence and hard work—and that providing opportunities to non-white people automatically lowers standards. Kizzy Cox, Essence, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
Share [Findings] Drivers of fancy cars yield to pedestrians less often than drivers of humble cars, and still less if the pedestrians are non-white men. Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023 But the lead acts — Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean — also make history as the first group of 100% non-white Coachella headliners. Oscar Hartzog, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for non-white

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of non-white was in 1806

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Cite this Entry

“Non-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-white. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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