racial

adjective

ra·​cial ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
Synonyms of racialnext
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.
The orders also alleged that the firms' diversity programs were a form of racial discrimination. Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 The incident reignited scrutiny of Beverly Hills Police’s treatment of Black people amid an ongoing $500-million class-action lawsuit alleging systemic racial profiling. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 In this vision, universities would have less ethnic and racial diversity, and people’s First Amendment rights would be weakened. Fred L. Pincus, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026 After last week’s BAFTAs mishegoss, the BBC has finally released the results of its internal review attempting to explain why their production team let a racial slur make it into the telecast despite the ceremony airing on a two-hour delay. Nate Jones, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for racial

Word History

Etymology

race entry 1 + -ial

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of racial was in 1853

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racial. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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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