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 equity and climate change used to animate the movement.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Racial background played a significant role, with 62% of White Catholics voting for Donald Trump and 37% for Kamala Harris, while 41% of Hispanic Catholics voted Trump and 58% Harris.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
The items in question include CalEPA’s “Practices to Advance Racial Equity in Workforce Planning” — a 2020 document intended to guide agency officials in equitable hiring, promotion and retention practices and policies.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025
Racial animosity and dysfunctional economic choices at the ballot box are better understood, in fact, as symptoms of an underlying mindset that is more difficult to define.
From Salon • Aug. 9, 2025
Racial justice advocates, if they should choose this path, will be required to provide uncomfortable answers to commonly asked questions.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
