OED wrote:
racist, n. and adj.
Pronunciation: Brit.
Etymology: < racist suffix, perhaps after French raciste (1895 as adjective, 1924 as noun). Compare earlier racialist n., racialist adj. Compare also racism n.
A. n.
An advocate or supporter of racism; a person whose words or actions display racial prejudice or discrimination. Also in extended use: a person who is prejudiced against people of other nationalities. Cf. racialist n.
1926 Manchester Guardian 22 Sept. 5 If the French people and Government show that they desire to come to a real understanding the opposition of the German Nationals and the Racists will be nullified and will soon disappear altogether.
1927 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 21 385 The government bloc reached an understanding with the most notorious Racists.
1940 R. Benedict Race: Science & Politics vii. 214 Classic German racists..ascribed all achievements beyond the Alps to infiltrations of northern blood.
1965 San Francisco Examiner 15 Apr. 34/5, I recently heard a man denounced as a racist for having observed that the rate of illegitimacy in New York is 14 times as high among the Negro population as among the white.
1978 S. Biko I write what I Like iii. 25 In other words one cannot be a racist unless he has the power to subjugate.
1992 Independent 14 Feb. 6/1 The minister responsible for Europe was labelled a racist yesterday after he allegedly referred to the French as ‘frogs’.
2004 H. Kennedy Just Law (2005) x. 228 There are better ways of dealing with racists than just locking them up.
B. adj.
Of, relating to, or characterized by racism. Cf. racialist adj.
1927 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 21 383 That such arbitrary tactics were not applied solely to the Left Opposition is made clear by the complaint of the Racist deputy Eckhardt.
1938 Mag. Digest Aug. 22 The racist revue, Archiv für Biologie und Rassengesellschaft, one of the organs of the National Socialist Party.
1957 P. Worsley Trumpet shall Sound App. 268 Racist doctrines and rule by force ‘worked’ to a degree in the short run of Nazidom.
1979 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 28 Nov. 8/4 [Mr. Levesque] can't bear any suggestion that he or his party could be racist, could treat non-francophones as second-class citizens.
1992 New Statesman & Society 4 Dec. 5/1 (heading) Ministers are reinforcing a climate of hostility over refugees by linking them with racist violence.
Derivatives
racistic adj.
1950 E. W. Count This is Race 734 Combating racistic theories.
1963 Observer 7 Apr. 22/2 This society is dedicated to pleasure and not over-concerned with the big racistic abstractions.
1970 Harper's Mag. Apr. 6/2 Because the preponderant white community is largely racistic, it is necessary to transform our entire society.
1981 Westindian World 18 Sept. 2/2 They can be as racistic as they please.
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A classic appeal to authority....
