Meanings
plural ethnophaulisms
- countableAn ethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided.
It is unlikely that over the course of history white trash has inflicted as much suffering and anguish as nigger—few ethnophaulisms in the American lexicon have. Yet the term white trash has performed much of the same symbolic violence.
2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 145 - uncountableThe use of such slurs.
[in title]
2004, Brian Mullen, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but ethnophaulisms can alter the portrayal of immigrants to children”, in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, volume 30, number 2, pages 250-260
Origin
Coined by American psychologist Abraham Aaron Roback in 1944 from ethno- + Ancient Greek φαύλισμα (phaúlisma, “disparagement, contempt”), which is from φαῦλος (phaûlos, “bad, unjust”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech etnofaulismus
- etnofaulismusethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
French ethnophaulisme
- ethnophaulismeethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
German Ethnophaulismus
- Ethnophaulismusethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
Greek εθνοφαυλισμός
- εθνοφαυλισμός (ethnofavlismós)ethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
Russian этнофоли́зм
- этнофоли́зм (etnofolízm)ethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
Spanish etnofaulismo
- etnofaulismoethnic or racial slur, typically caricaturing some identifiable (often physical) feature of the group being derided
Cite this entry
ethnophaulism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnophaulism
“ethnophaulism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnophaulism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ethnophaulism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnophaulism.
Source: ethnophaulism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.