plural HBCUs
: a college or university in the U.S. established before 1964 for African American students : a historically Black college or university
the state's largest HBCU
Note: The term HBCU was created as a federal designation during the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities.
historically Black colleges and universities
Examples of HBCU in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The classic brings together 50 baseball players from Division I programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to showcase their talent on a national stage and celebrate the history of HBCU programs.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The tradition has carried on, however, as an unsanctioned event on the beach for decades, and has primarily been marketed to HBCU students in the southeast.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
That donation pushed Scott’s cumulative HBCU total past the billion-dollar mark.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
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Noun
Deborah arrives for her freshman year at her parents' HBCU alma mater and figures out how to escape their shadow while also building her own legacy.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The classic brings together 50 baseball players from Division I programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to showcase their talent on a national stage and celebrate the history of HBCU programs.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The tradition has carried on, however, as an unsanctioned event on the beach for decades, and has primarily been marketed to HBCU students in the southeast.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
That donation pushed Scott’s cumulative HBCU total past the billion-dollar mark.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for HBCU
Cite this Entry
“HBCU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/HBCU. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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