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 Public spaces are routinely polluted by blaring music packed with profanity and racial slurs, and no one thinks twice about it. Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026 The resulting racial profiling and excessive violence by federal agents became an urgent call to action for a community that, not long ago, drew a line in the sand over race and policing — sparking 2020’s worldwide reckoning. Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026 Levy Armstrong said Thursday that their concerns are not only about immigrant rights, but also about racial justice and constitutional rights. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026 But the relative lack of racial diversity in Iowa and New Hampshire, and a chaotic Iowa Caucus finish in 2020, led the party to overhaul its calendar for the 2024 cycle. Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for racial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racial
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Eli, who was adopted by a white woman as a child, has mostly abandoned any ties to his ethnic background.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Balochistan has long faced a separatist insurgency by ethnic Baloch groups seeking greater autonomy or independence from Pakistan’s central government.
    Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racial. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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