adjective
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denoting or relating to the division of the human species into races on grounds of physical characteristics
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characteristic of any such group
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relating to or arising from differences between the races
racial harmony
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of or relating to a subspecies
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of racial
Explanation
Something racial is related to the characteristics people have because of their genetic or ethnic origins. Racial differences sometimes lead to racial tension. Members of the same racial group share a very old genetic connection — their ancestors lived in the same part of the world, and they're distantly related. When people talk about "racial diversity," they mean that many of these groups are represented, for example, in a single city. The noun race is at the heart of the adjective racial, and it comes from Old French, with an Italian root word, razza, "race, breed, lineage, or family."
Vocabulary lists containing racial
Tears of a Tiger
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Promises to Keep
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The Voice That Challenged a Nation
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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.
He mostly posts humorous memes, some of which explore racial themes, and has made several comments relating to the Eatherly case online on the account and referenced his own criminal history.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Arkansas, Montana and South Carolina voluntarily repealed racial quotas for public bodies after lawsuits based on the Equal Protection Clause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
These kinds of asset recovery can worsen housing instability, limit opportunities for intergenerational wealth and contribute to existing racial and economic disparities, the organization adds.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
This led to a deeper look into other factors contributing to wrongful convictions, including prosecutorial misconduct and mistaken eyewitness identifications, especially those made by witnesses with different racial backgrounds from the suspects.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
A backlash against blacks was clearly in force, but no consensus had yet been reached regarding what racial and social order would ultimately emerge from these turbulent times.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
