Hispanic

/hɪˈspænɪk/

/hɪˈspænɪk/

Other forms: Hispanics

A Hispanic is someone whose first language is Spanish. Anything Hispanic is related in some way to Spanish-speaking culture.

Hispanic comes from the Latin word for “Spain.” Although Hispanic refers to Spanish speaking people in the Americas, it’s better to be more specific. Hispanic describes someone with a connection to Spain, while Latino narrows it down to people from Latin America. Generally, though, Hispanic refers to someone in the US whose first language is Spanish.

Definitions of Hispanic

1. noun

   an American whose first language is Spanish
   synonyms: Hispanic American, Spanish American

   types:

   criollo

   a Spanish American of pure European stock (usually Spanish)

   type of:

   American

   a native or inhabitant of the United States
2. adjective

   related to a Spanish-speaking people or culture
   “the Hispanic population of California is growing rapidly”

   synonyms: Latino