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 At least one senior role was filled by someone from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group: the head of makeup, Luisa Abel, who is Hispanic. Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 But the message was muddied by what appeared to be Greene’s cynical repurposing of a plea used by those who were marching for racial justice and police reform in the summer of 2020. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The racial wealth gap is the smallest it’s been in 20 years. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Addressing racial bias and socioeconomic disadvantage will require a shift away from traditional admissions metrics. Tricia Pendergrast, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 The 2021 Academy Awards, the first Oscars to take place after the killing of George Floyd, remains the high-water mark for diversity among nominees, with 20 percent hailing from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group and 11 percent comprising women of color. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 That play shared the story of the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma, racial violence that destroyed an affluent Black community. Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 Why is The North Face running a racial inclusion course? Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 To deny that would be to deny the racial temperature of this country, at a time when, for example, the University of Florida just disbanded its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion department. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'racial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near racial

Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racial. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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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