miscegenation
Definitions
Marriage, sexual union or reproduction between people of different races (now a dated and often offensive term tied to discriminatory laws)
异族通婚，异族混血（旧词，多与歧视性法律相关，含冒犯意味）
Root Breakdown
BlendLatin miscēre (to mix) + gen (race, kind — from genus) + -ation = 'the mixing of races.' The word was coined in 1864 as the foundation for 'miscegenation laws' that banned interracial marriage. Knowing the parts (mix + kind) explains both the meaning and why the term is now historically loaded.
Why It Means This
This is the gen- = genus 'kind/race' sense, not 'birth.' The word is almost never neutral today: it survives mainly in history and law (the US Supreme Court struck down anti-miscegenation laws in Loving v. Virginia, 1967). Use 'interracial' for ordinary description.
Common Collocations
- 1.anti-miscegenation laws反异族通婚法
- 2.miscegenation laws异族通婚法
Example Sentences
- 1.
Anti-miscegenation laws were once enforced in many U.S. states.
- 2.
Historians study how the term miscegenation shaped racist policy.