bigotry

noun

big·​ot·​ry ˈbi-gə-trē How to pronounce bigotry (audio)
plural bigotries
Synonyms of bigotrynext
1
: obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices : the state of mind of a bigot
overcoming his own bigotry
2
: acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot
racial bigotry
will not tolerate bigotry in our organization

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bigotry in a Sentence

a deeply ingrained bigotry prevented her from even considering the counterarguments
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To many in the LGBTQ community, the attire and the slogan are symbols of bigotry and intolerance at a time when gay, lesbian and transgender rights are under growing attack. — Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 20 Mar. 2025 The play concerns an intelligent, sensitive but deeply troubled Afrikaner boy whose bigotry threatens to destroy his relationship with the black man who is his surrogate father and best friend. — Carmel Dagan, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025 Levin said this could have happened because some people felt emboldened to express their bigotry in ways that wouldn't constitute a crime, particularly as social media platforms loosened curbs on hate speech. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 Half said antisemitism is taken less seriously than other forms of hate and bigotry, according to the report. — Katie Futterman Las Vegas Review-Journal (tns), arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bigotry

Word History

Etymology

see bigot

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bigotry was in 1632

Browse Nearby Words

bigotry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bigotry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigotry. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

bigotry

noun
big·​ot·​ry ˈbig-ə-trē How to pronounce bigotry (audio)
plural bigotries
1
: the state of mind of a bigot
2
: behavior or beliefs characteristic of a bigot

More from Merriam-Webster on bigotry

Nglish: Translation of bigotry for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All