What does "negro" mean?
A person of black African ancestry.
Negro
/ˈniɡɹoʊ/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person of black African ancestry.
- Grammar: negro is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: black, african-american, american indian, amerind.
- Useful contrasts: White person, inclusive terminology, modern descriptor.
- Usage evidence: Arroz negro tastes inky because it's made with squid ink.
How to use "negro"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "negro" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "negro" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "negro" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "negro" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "negro" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "black" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "negro", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person of black African ancestry. dated, offensive
"The negroes believe that its presence has a sanitary effect upon their cattle […]"
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of negro. alt-of, dated, offensive, usually
"The rickets were sold to sex-starved who had weird ideas about Negro women."
- 3 a person with African ancestry, ‘Negro’ and ‘Negroid’ are archaic and pejorative today wordnet
- 4 A slave, especially one of African ancestry. archaic
"We don't want your Negroes, or your horses, or your lands, or any thing you have, but we do want and will have a just obedience to the laws of the United States. That we will have, and if it involved the destruction of your improvements, we cannot help it."
Adjective
- 1 Relating to a black ethnicity. dated, not-comparable, offensive
"Recently, on a wintry Sunday, some 2,500 white Chicago area residents embarked on a strange safari across the city, determined to do what most of them had never done before—visit a Negro home. Eager to purge themselves of ignorance about the city's "other half," they were participants in Interracial Home Visit Day, a "Coffee Klatsch" co-sponsored by local Catholic, Jewish and Protestant groups in an effort to eliminate racial bigotry and hate."
- 2 Black or dark brown in color. dated, not-comparable, offensive
Adjective
- 1 having skin rich in melanin pigments; wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Arroz negro tastes inky because it's made with squid ink."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "negro"?
Common synonyms include: black, african-american, american indian, amerind, australian aborigine, black.
How do you use "negro" in a sentence?
Arroz negro tastes inky because it's made with squid ink.
How do you pronounce "negro"?
Pronounced /ˈniɡɹoʊ/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese negro (“black”), from Latin nigrum (“shiny black”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *negʷ- (“bare; night”). Doublet of noir.