racial

adjective

ra·​cial ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or based on a race (see race entry 1 sense 1a)
a racial minority
2
: existing or occurring between races (see race entry 1 sense 1a)
racial equality
racially adverb

Examples of racial in a Sentence

What is your racial identity? There was racial tension on campus.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From the ambient rhythm of Poems by my great Grandmother, to textual allusions drawn from Bob Marley’s War—itself a reinterpretation of Haile Selassie’s historic speech against racial injustice—Mutu weaves a multi-sensory tapestry of resistance and remembrance. Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 The racial profiling in the ICE raids has been beyond doubt, striking fear in millions of the brown-skinned and netting some U.S. citizens. Thomas Elias, Oc Register, 27 June 2025 New data released by the United States Census Bureau Thursday showed that the country's Asian population grew the fastest in the past year, while the white population became the racial group to decline. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 The racial disparities inherent in this practice are profound. Vincent Schiraldi, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for racial

Word History

Etymology

race entry 1 + -ial

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of racial was in 1854

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racial. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

racial

adjective
ra·​cial ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
: of, relating to, or based on race
racially adverb

Medical Definition

racial

adjective
ra·​cial ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
: of, relating to, or based on a race

More from Merriam-Webster on racial

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