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Glite Dictionary
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biracialism

biracialism

7.5
A state of belonging to two different races
  • noun
  • /ˌbaɪˈreɪʃəlɪzəm/
: birracialismo
  • Biracialism is an important aspect of her identity as she embraces both her African and European heritage.

Examples

  • Skidmore concludes that the United States may be growing increasingly multiracial, while Brazil shows signs of increasing biracialism.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The documentary explored the challenges and joys of biracialism in modern society.

  • Many people find strength in their biracialism, seeing it as a connection between different cultures.

Surface Forms

biracialism singular
biracialisms plural

Morphology

biracialism = biracial (transparent) = bi + racial + ism

The adjective 'biracial' combined with '-ism' yields a noun describing a condition or identity; the components map straightforwardly onto the meaning.

Etymology

Biracialism comes from bi- meaning 'two', like in bicycle, and race meaning 'group of people', with -ism showing a 'state or idea'. So biracialism can mean the condition of being part of, or relating to, two different races and the mixed identity that comes with it.