noun
negro
NEEG-roh
noun
1
A dated and now offensive term for a Black person, once in common formal use but now considered outdated and inappropriate.
"The word appears in older census records and civil rights-era documents but is avoided today."
How to Use Negro
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn older word for a Black person that is now considered outdated and offensive in everyday use; it survives mainly in historical names and quoted text (e.g. the NAACP, "Negro spirituals").
When to use it
Avoid in modern speech and writing except when quoting historical names, titles, or documents.
Word Forms
negroes plural, negros plural
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Etymology
From Spanish/Portuguese negro, "black," from Latin niger.