mixed-race

American  

[mikst-reys] / ˈmɪkstˈreɪs /

adjective

Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.

1. denoting or relating to a person whose parents belong to different racial or ethnic groups.

   mixed-race Brazilians.

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mixed-race British  

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of people of different ethnic origins

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Sensitive Note

Despite the stigma sometimes associated with a mixed-race heritage and the fact that some mixed-race people identify with just one ethnic group, the term itself is usually considered acceptable.

Usage

The term mixed-race may well cause offence. The people so labelled might object to being thought of as a mixture, and identify with one ethnic group. Possible alternatives when referring specifically to ethic origins are of mixed ethnicity and of mixed ethnic origin

Etymology

Origin of mixed-race

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

"My mum was like, they're probably going to have more opportunities and a better upbringing if they move to a country where people of mixed-race backgrounds are more common."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Americans learned that his melting-pot family history included French, Italian, Spanish and mixed-race Louisiana Creole roots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

At the time it was billed as a public relations masterstroke for the monarchy, which was now modernizing by welcoming a mixed-race American celebrity into its ranks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Actor Stephen Graham has described himself as "just a mixed-race kid from Kirkby" as he accepted an Emmy award for his starring role in the acclaimed Netflix series Adolescence.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

They greatly impressed the mixed-race British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose 1905 Negro Melodies were arrangements of the Jubilee Singers’ best-known spirituals.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall