interracial
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of interracial
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.
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.
Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, a Black actress who played Lieutenant Uhura, made history in 1968 with one of the first interracial kisses ever seen on US television.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
In 1967, the Supreme Court said state bans on interracial marriage violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
