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
Examples of racial in a Sentence
What is your racial identity?
There was racial tension on campus.
Recent Examples on the Web
Netflix’s refugee thriller His House and Jordan Peele’s Lovecraft Country showed early signs of her penchant for horror as a metaphor for racial oppression.
—
Kemi Alemoru, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2026
While presenting at the British Academy Film Awards earlier this month, Jordan and co-star Delroy Lindo were called a racial slur by Tourette’s activist John Davidson during a tic outburst.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
As Americans shifted their attention to both British enemies and Indian enemies, these propaganda campaigns became more strident and generated debates about racial characteristics.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
In 2002, the FBI published hate crime statistics showing an increase in racial and religious hate incidents.
—Amaarah Decuir, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for racial
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Kemi Alemoru, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2026
While presenting at the British Academy Film Awards earlier this month, Jordan and co-star Delroy Lindo were called a racial slur by Tourette’s activist John Davidson during a tic outburst.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
As Americans shifted their attention to both British enemies and Indian enemies, these propaganda campaigns became more strident and generated debates about racial characteristics.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
In 2002, the FBI published hate crime statistics showing an increase in racial and religious hate incidents.
—Amaarah Decuir, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for racial
Cite this Entry
“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racial. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
racial
adjective
ra·cial
ˈrā-shəl 
: of, relating to, or based on a race
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