racial

adjective

ˈrā-shəl How to pronounce racial (audio)
Definition of racialnext
as in ethnic
of, relating to, or reflecting the traits exhibited by a group of people with a common ancestry and culture a survey that included an optional question regarding racial identity, age, and other personal information

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of racial For example, giving an automatic admission to the top 5% of the students in all of a big city’s high schools or its middle schools could achieve greater racial and ethnic diversity. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 The document outlines the need to address barriers to care women face because of cultural, racial and socioeconomic factors. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 19 Oct. 2026 Amy Guerrero, a Filipino American activist and teacher in Norwalk who previously taught in Bridgeport, emphasized the importance of solidarity across racial and cultural groups. — Reginald David, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 An Associated Press review of thousands of posts made on the forum between 2022 and 2026 found racial slurs, minimizations of Nazi Germany and defenses of white nationalist conspiracy theories. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for racial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racial
  1. ethnic
  2. ethnical
Adjective
  • Dodik has repeatedly called for the separation of the Bosnian Serb entity and its unification with Serbia, a call that has triggered fears of a revival of war-time ethnic tensions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Because New York is only as great as its citizens, and that means continuing its legendary diversity—not just racial and ethnic but also economic diversity.
    — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ethnic
Adjective
  • Genocide is defined as attempting to partly or wholly destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Ellie Cook Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The United Nations broadly defines genocide as seriously harming or killing members of a group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2022
Definition of ethnical

Browse Nearby Words

raceways
racial
racialism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racial. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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