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

The exploitation of racial divides, the mass rallies, the storming of the Capitol, the blurring of truth and reality, the unabashed abuse of government power to the ends of ethnic cleansing, which becomes systemic, institutionalized, and accepted. — Daniel Peña, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Everyone knows Israel has been committing genocide and ethnic cleansing, and the entire world and the American people will not stay silent. — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above