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 In the last two years, dozens of colleges and universities have rolled back or eliminated such offerings to avoid accusations of racial discrimination that have led to loss of research funding and other sanctions. — Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 The 1985 South African Grand Prix took place during apartheid, and French teams Renault and Ligier did not attend amid opposition to the country’s racial policies. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 However, Gates, who resigned in the wake of the 1992 LA Riots, was also viewed as leaving a legacy of police brutality and racial tension. — Tom Wait, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Esquivel also claimed racial slurs were spray-painted outside his house. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for racial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racial
  1. ethnic
  2. ethnical
Adjective
  • Additionally, ethnic and Indigenous minorities, such as the Roma people in Europe and the Uyghur people in China, are targets of the practice, as are people with disabilities and transgender and intersex persons.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Nine of the additional 12, however, are in Bosnia, a neighboring country slightly smaller than West Virginia, where ethnic Serbs have mostly supported Vucic and his party.
    — Branimir Pipal, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racial. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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