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hyperdescent

noun

The practice of classifying a child of mixed race ancestry into the more socially dominant of the parents' races.

Opposite

Scrabble 23

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Meanings

nounhyperdescent (uncountable)

uncountableThe practice of classifying a child of mixed race ancestry into the more socially dominant of the parents' races.
In contrast, American Indians have generally been identified by hyperdescent, a principle that stipulates some minimum amount of ancestry as a necessary condition for qualification.
2002, Joel Perlmann, The New Race Question: How the Census Counts Multiracial Individuals

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

Origin

From hyper- + descent.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hyperdescent

content event present percent sent went rent saint prevent cent spent extent consent kent segment ent intent frequent absent tent accent cement brent fragment

Cite this entry

APA

hyperdescent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperdescent

MLA

“hyperdescent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperdescent. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hyperdescent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperdescent.

Source: hyperdescent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.