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

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

Mary Edmonia Lewis, a mixed-race sculptor who attended Oberlin College, learned her trade in Boston, then moved to Rome.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

Vargas Llosa’s social position — as part of the well-to-do, fair-skinned, Spanish-speaking elite — also raised questions about how he would govern a country made up largely of Indigenous people and mixed-race mestizos.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2025

Washington and other white people used the word mulatto for such mixed-race people.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis