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Synonyms

interracial

American  
[in-ter-rey-shuhl] / ˌɪn tərˈreɪ ʃəl /

adjective

  1. of, involving, or for members of different racial groups.

    interracial amity.


interracial British  
/ ˌɪntəˈreɪʃəl /

adjective

  1. conducted, involving, or existing between different races or ethnic groups

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of interracial

First recorded in 1885–90; inter- + racial

Explanation

The adjective interracial describes something that involves different ethnic groups. The word interracial is a tricky one, since there's no real agreement about what constitutes a race. It essentially goes back to ancient genetic connections that link a group of people together and often give them common physical characteristics. Interracial marriage is when people of different races wed — something that’s incredibly common today, but was once illegal in the United States.

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Vocabulary lists containing interracial

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.

See Examples For:

He later backed the new president's decision to support gay marriage, comparing the situation to the earlier struggle against laws in the country that had barred interracial marriage.

From BBC Feb. 17, 2026

The Silver family is interracial, Lena being black, Sarah white, and Jonah biracial, their parents having married after their respective divorces and everyone converting to Judaism.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 16, 2025

Kacie was quick to give her assurance that being an interracial couple wasn’t an issue.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 1, 2025

Virginia, which overturned Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage.

From Slate Jun. 18, 2025

Miscegenation laws were declared unconstitutional, and the rate of interracial marriage climbed.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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