great white hope
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.09 in modern English
26
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
1
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A highly skilled white/Caucasian challenger for leadership in a field whose top ranks are dominated by non-Caucasians; especially a field which was once dominated by white Caucasians, and is now dominated by those of black-African descent.
name
Nickname for Q22686 (born 1946), President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025).
American usage
Example Sentences
- "The arrest of Christo — who three times has run unsuccessfully for selectperson in Provincetown and who has been a leading proponent of the proposal to establish a [gay] community radio station here — caused the biggest stir. Considered once by many to be Provincetown's "liberal great white hope," his political career is now in doubt."
Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century, first appearing in 1910; during a period when African-American heavyweight champion boxer Jack Johnson seemed unbeatable by a Caucasian boxer. A term that first gained prominence with James J. Jeffries' return from retirement to fight Jack Johnson in 1910. Following this, a wave of white fighters, many with no prior boxing experience, suddenly took up the sport in hopes of defeating him. In what became a racially charged search for a white boxer to reclaim the title. With many of them collectively referred to as "White Hopes." The term was repopularized in the late-mid 1900s with the appearance of the play and film "The Great White Hope"; and its definition extended beyond boxing and Caucasians.
Usage
- American usage