IC3 means: A UK police classification code denoting a person perceived to be of Black African or Caribbean heritage. Part of a numerical Identity Code system used by British police to describe ethnic appearance. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
IC3
A UK police classification code denoting a person perceived to be of Black African or Caribbean heritage.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2000 · no dated citations yetLate-Millennial / Web 2.0 eraSee decade cohort →
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK
A UK police classification code denoting a person perceived to be of Black African or Caribbean heritage. Part of a numerical Identity Code system used by British police to describe ethnic appearance in reports (IC1 = White European, IC3 = Black, etc.). The system is a flashpoint in debates about racial profiling and police record-keeping practices.
The dispatch described the suspect as an IC3 male in his twenties.
Origin: Acronym for Identity Code 3, from the UK police National Identification System introduced in the 1970s. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
IC3 means: A UK police classification code denoting a person perceived to be of Black African or Caribbean heritage. Part of a numerical Identity Code system used by British police to describe ethnic appearance. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
IC3 means: A UK police classification code denoting a person perceived to be of Black African or Caribbean heritage. Part of a numerical Identity Code system used by British police to. Register: neutral, standard English. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(UK, police) A person of black ethnicity.
For parents
IC3 means: A person of black ethnicity.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
IC3 means: A person of black ethnicity.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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Other words near "IC3" (I)
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