interracial

American  

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

adjective

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

   interracial amity.

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interracial British  

/ ˌɪntəˈreɪʃəl /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• interracially adverb

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.

Example Sentences

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

Father Leahy’s plan was for St. Benedict’s to be a “small, interracial school,” designed to address “the educational problems of our time,” that was “not going to shovel everyone into college.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

“Senator, my wife and I are an interracial couple, so if that case were wrongly decided I would be in big trouble,” Tung said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025

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

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2025

The union planned a culminating interracial parade for July 6.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

• multicultural