Latino (masculine) and Latina (feminine) as a noun refer to people living in the United States who have cultural ties to Latin America. As an adjective, the terms refer to things as having ties with Latin America. The term Hispanic usually includes Spaniards, whereas Latino as a noun often does not.

Understanding the Context

In general, “Latino” is understood as shorthand for the Spanish word latinoamericano (or the Portuguese latino-americano) and refers to (almost) anyone born in or with ancestors from Latin America and living in the U.S., including Brazilians. Hispanic refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino refers to people from Latin American countries. A person can be Hispanic, Latino, both, or neither, depending on their background. When using one of these terms to refer to a specific person, always respect their preference.

Key Insights

The terms Latino, Hispanic and Latinx are often used interchangeably to describe a group that makes up about 19 percent of the U.S. population. The meaning of LATINO is a native or inhabitant of Latin America. What does Latino mean? Latino is an adjective and a noun that describes a person “of Latin American origin or descent,” especially one who lives in the United States.

Final Thoughts

Today, Latinos are the country’s second-largest racial or ethnic group, making up one-in-five Americans. They are also strikingly diverse, relatively young, mostly U.S. born and increasingly dispersed across the country. 1M Followers, 1,799 Following, 3,010 Posts - LATINO (@latino) on Instagram: "🎶 +35 anos na carreira 🏆 50 Hit’s que marcaram gerações 📧 shows@latino.com.br OUÇA AGORA #HojeEuVouSairSolteiro 👇🏻"