The term most often used interchangeably with "Hispanic" is "Latino" (or its variations such as Latina, Latinx). Both terms broadly refer to people with origins in Spanish-speaking countries or Latin America, though there are nuances: "Hispanic" typically relates to Spanish-speaking origins including Spain, while "Latino" refers more specifically to people from Latin America (which may include non-Spanish-speaking countries like Brazil). In the U.S., these terms are frequently used as synonyms and appear together in official designations like "Hispanic or Latino".
Key distinctions:
- Hispanic: Refers to Spanish-speaking origins, including Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.
- Latino: Refers to geographic origin from Latin America, encompassing diverse languages, including Portuguese in Brazil.
- Usage overlap in the U.S. makes them interchangeable in many contexts, especially in government and census classifications.
Thus, Latino is the main other term often used interchangeably with Hispanic.