ethnic cleansing

noun

: the expulsion, imprisonment, or killing of an ethnic minority by a dominant majority in order to achieve ethnic homogeneity

Examples of ethnic cleansing in a Sentence

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.
As the army chief, Mladić was the main architect of a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing, directly overseeing widespread and indiscriminate killing, deportations and forcible transfers of civilians. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 The scale, organization and ferocity of the operation led to accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide from the international community, including the United Nations. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Unfettered occupation and ethnic cleansing will provoke resistance and terror attacks. — Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Aug. 2026 Bureaucracy is often the last straw to break during an ethnic cleansing. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethnic cleansing

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethnic cleansing was in 1991

Browse Nearby Words

ethnically
ethnic cleansing
ethnic group
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ethnic cleansing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic%20cleansing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ethnic cleansing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ethnic cleansing

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