Definition of APARTHEID

apartheid

Plural: apartheids

Noun

  • a social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites; the former official policy in South Africa
  • The policy of racial segregation in South Africa from 1948 to 1990.
  • Any similar policy of racial segregation or separation and discrimination, particularly when in favor of a minority rule.
  • A policy or situation of segregation based on some specified attribute.

Verb

  • To impose a policy of segregation of groups of people, especially one based on race.

Examples

  • The 1973 Apartheid Convention conferred universal jurisdiction to the state signatories to prosecute those who commit apartheid.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans apartheid (literally “separateness, apartness”) (1929 in a South African socio-political context), from Afrikaans apart (“separate”) + suffix -heid, cognate of English -hood.

Synonyms

plural relations

Antonyms

antiapartheid

Scrabble Score: 15

apartheid: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
apartheid: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
apartheid: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

apartheid: valid Words With Friends Word