English · Word Candidate

negro

/ˈniɡɹoʊ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: negroes · negros

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Relating to a black ethnicity.

AdjectiveRegister: dated

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Black or dark brown in color.

AdjectiveRegister: dated

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A person of black African ancestry.

NounRegister: dated

Examples

The negroes believe that its presence has a sanitary effect upon their cattle […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Pertaining to the panethnic or ethnolinguistic groups associated with the proposed Negro-African superphylum.

Adjective

Examples

The Negro-African language theory was proposed.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “negro” mean?

Relating to a black ethnicity.

Is “negro” formal or informal?

negro is generally dated.