latino

latino — noun

1. a US resident whose family roots are in any of the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaki

1.nounA2
Definition

a US resident whose family roots are in any of the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries of the Americas — a broad identity label covering people with heritage from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America, South America, and other parts of Latin America.

Example

Andrés is a proud Latino whose parents left Mexico for Texas in 1990.

On weekends, Houston's flea market drew Latinos selling handmade goods from Mexico.

collocation: draw / attract + Latinos

Common collocations
  • first-generation Latino
  • second-generation Latino
  • Latino community
  • Latino voters
  • Latino families
  • Latino students
Synonyms
  • Hispanic

    broader term that includes Spanish-speaking people from Spain itself; also excludes Portuguese-speaking Brazilians

  • Latin American

    geographic term for anyone from Latin America, without the specific US-diaspora meaning of 'Latino'

  • Chicano

    more specific term for Mexican Americans, often with identity tied to the Chicano civil rights movement

Usage Note

This term is used primarily in the United States to refer to people of Latin American origin. It does not normally refer to people currently living in Latin America. The feminine form 'Latina' refers specifically to women or girls. In recent years, 'Latinx' and 'Latine' have gained use as gender-neutral alternatives, though 'Latino' remains the most common collective form.

Common Mistakes

Many Latinos in Mexico City voted in the election.
Many people in Mexico City voted in the election.
'Latino' refers specifically to people of Latin American origin living in the US, not to people currently living in Latin America.
She is a Latino from Spain.
She is a Spaniard / from Spain.
'Latino' applies to people of Latin American origin, not people from Spain.

latino — adjective

Word family

  • Latina
    nounA2
  • Latinx
    adjectiveC1
  • Latine
    adjectiveC1
  • Latin American
    adjectiveA2
  • Hispanic
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms relate to people with Latin American heritage, but they differ in scope and context. 'Hispanic' emphasizes Spanish-speaking heritage and includes people from Spain, whereas 'Latino' specifically refers to those of Latin American origin in the US and includes Portuguese-speaking Brazilians. 'Latin American' is a broader geographic term for people who live in or come from Latin America itself, without the US-diaspora emphasis that 'Latino' carries. 'Chicano' is a more specific term for Mexican Americans, often tied to the Chicano civil rights movement. 'Latina' is simply the feminine form of 'Latino.' For example, a person from Brazil living in New York would be a Latina or Latino but not Hispanic; a person living in Mexico City would be Latin American but is not usually called a Latino in English without the US connection.

HispanicLatin AmericanChicanoLatina ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • predominantly Latino
  • overwhelmingly Latino

Phrases

  • Latino and Latina
  • Latino-owned business
  • Latino-majority area

Prepositions

  • of Latino origin
  • among Latinos
  • in the Latino community

Etymology

SpanishEnglish

From Spanish 'latino' (Latin), shortened from 'latinoamericano' (Latin American). The English use emerged in the mid-20th century in the United States as a self-identification term among people of Latin American descent, especially during the civil rights era, as an alternative to the government classification 'Hispanic.'