Jim Crow law

noun

Any law that racially segregated public facilities and which was enacted in Southern and border states in the United States between 1876 and 1965.

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Meanings

nounJim Crow law (plural Jim Crow laws)

plural Jim Crow laws

  1. UShistoricalAny law that racially segregated public facilities and which was enacted in Southern and border states in the United States between 1876 and 1965.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
segregation

Origin

From the song Jump Jim Crow (c. 1830) which mockingly portrayed African-Americans. It became a generic term for African-Americans in the early- to mid-19th century.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish rotuerottelulaki
  • rotuerottelulakiracially segregating law
Polish prawo Jima Crowa
  • prawo Jima Crowaracially segregating law
Spanish leyes de Jim Crow
  • leyes de Jim Crowracially segregating law
Swedish Jim Crow-lag
  • Jim Crow-lagracially segregating law
Cite this entry
APA

Jim Crow law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jim%20Crow%20law

MLA

“Jim Crow law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jim%20Crow%20law. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Jim Crow law,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jim%20Crow%20law.

Source: Jim Crow law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.