The term Hispanic (Spanish: hispano or hispánico) refers to persons, cultures, or countries related to the Spanish language, Spanish culture, Spanish people, or to Spain in general.

​

The term commonly applies to the countries once under colonial possession by the Spanish Empire following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, parts of the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Principally, what are today the countries of Hispanic America, and sometimes also Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara; in those countries Spanish may or may not be the predominant or official language and their cultures are derived from Spain in different degrees, in addition to local indigenous or other foreign influences. It is more broadly used to refer to the culture, peoples, or nations with a historical link to Spain, especially those countries which were once colonized by Spain, particularly the countries of Latin America which were colonized by Spain.