racismo
/raˈθismo/masculine
The English word racism is translated into Spanish as racismo.
racismo is a masculine noun used to describe racial prejudice or discrimination. While racismo is the direct translation for racism, you may also encounter more specific terms like discriminación racial for racial discrimination or la discriminación étnica for discrimination based on ethnicity.
Meaning: racial prejudice or discrimination (noun)
Which one should you use?
While racismo is the standard term, Discriminación racial is often used in legal or academic settings. In informal speech, if you want to describe blatant or overt racism, you might use the phrase racismo puro y duro.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, the phrase La discriminación étnica might be used to specifically refer to racist behavior directed at someone's ethnicity.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because racismo is a masculine noun, you use the masculine article el (el racismo) when referring to it in a general sense.
How do you pronounce it?
/raˈθismo/
Did you know?
- The word raza within racismo is not only used for humans but is also the standard word for a 'breed' of animal.
- In some Latin American contexts, people may deny the existence of racismo by claiming mestizaje, the idea that everyone is a mix of races and therefore racism is impossible.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, racismo is often discussed alongside clasismo, as historical colonial structures frequently linked a person's race to their social class.
Examples in context
- ¡Eso es puro racismo!That's pure racism.Tatoeba #3065356 by hayastan, translation #9772417 by helloroto
- ¿El racismo es un asunto serio?Racism is a serious issue?Tatoeba #8016868 by Seael, translation #9130893 by gluis
- ¿El racismo es una cuestión seria?Is racism a serious issue?Tatoeba #8016867 by Seael, translation #9772386 by helloroto
- El racismo es una forma de discriminación injustaRacism is a form of unjust discrimination.
- La lucha contra el racismo es crucialThe fight against racism is crucial.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing a news report about discrimination.
- LucíaEste reportaje habla sobre el racismo en el trabajo.This report talks about racism at work.
- MateoEs terrible que el racismo todavía exista hoy.It is terrible that racism still exists today.
- LucíaSí, Mateo, debemos luchar contra el racismo siempre.Yes, Mateo, we must always fight against racism.
- MateoTienes razón, Lucía, es muy importante.You are right, Lucía, it is very important.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “racism” translations and entries racismo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
