adjective
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denoting or relating to the division of the human species into races on grounds of physical characteristics
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characteristic of any such group
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relating to or arising from differences between the races
racial harmony
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of or relating to a subspecies
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of racial
Explanation
Something racial is related to the characteristics people have because of their genetic or ethnic origins. Racial differences sometimes lead to racial tension. Members of the same racial group share a very old genetic connection — their ancestors lived in the same part of the world, and they're distantly related. When people talk about "racial diversity," they mean that many of these groups are represented, for example, in a single city. The noun race is at the heart of the adjective racial, and it comes from Old French, with an Italian root word, razza, "race, breed, lineage, or family."
Vocabulary lists containing racial
Tears of a Tiger
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Promises to Keep
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The Voice That Challenged a Nation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Racial resentment is a scale that social scientists have used to describe and measure anti-Black prejudice since the 1980s.
From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026
Jackson oversaw Apple’s government affairs work, its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and the company’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
In 1998, though, the state became the first to enact a Racial Justice Act.
From Slate • Jul. 18, 2025
Scotland's prosecution service, the Crown Office, will state its position, along with Police Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Commission for Racial Equality and Rights.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2025
Racial hate had been the bane of my life, and here before my eyes was concrete proof that it could be abolished.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
