racial

adjective

ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
Definition of racialnext
as in ethnic
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a survey that included an optional question regarding racial identity, age, and other personal information

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of racial Because of the racial melting pot and LGBTQIA+ demographics of the league, the WNBA sits directly on this country’s current cultural and political fault lines. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 Witnesses said the suspect yelled racial slurs at the victim, officials said. — Jessica Baltaxe, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Witnesses told investigators that Stewart yelled multiple racial slurs at Lewis during the assault. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Less well known is the reptile’s role in the nation’s history of racial stereotyping. — The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for racial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racial
  1. ethnic
  2. ethnical
Adjective
  • Some 13,000 people died in Kosovo's war, which saw ethnic Albanians launch a rebellion to gain independence from Serbia.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Aikebaer was Uyghur, while Bo was Han, China’s majority ethnic group.
    — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ethnic
Adjective
  • Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022
Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

raceways
racial
racialism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racial. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on racial

Nglish: Translation of racial for Spanish Speakers

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