Slangora

CMIO

A Singapore-specific abbreviation standing for Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Others — the four official racial categories that the Singapore government uses in its national census, identity documentation, and social policy.

ˈmioʊ109 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🗺️ Regional & Other
2 definitions
Community

Definitions

#1·Apr 28, 2026

A Singapore-specific abbreviation standing for Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Others — the four official racial categories that the Singapore government uses in its national census, identity documentation, and social policy. CMIO is central to understanding Singapore's approach to multiracialism, which formally recognizes these groups as the backbone of the nation's ethnic makeup. The term appears in policy discussions, journalism, and everyday conversation about race and society in Singapore.

The debate over whether the CMIO framework still reflects Singapore's actual diversity has been growing louder in recent years.
Origin: Acronym from Singapore's official racial classification system established during the colonial and early post-independence period — Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
Was this helpful?

Comments

#2·Apr 27, 2026

(Singapore) ; the 4 races of Singapore.

Was this helpful?

Comments

Have a better definition?

Add your own interpretation of "CMIO".

Add definition

🗺️About Regional & Other slang

Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.

Tags

Other words near "CMIO" (C)

Browse all slang words starting with C.

Related terms

People also read

Semantically related