racial
gb/ɹˈeɪʃəl/ us/ɹˈeɪʃəl/
B2
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
relating to race or ethnicity
About people’s race or ethnic group, or how groups are seen as different from each other.
Usage pattern:
racial [identity/background/group/differences/issues]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *race* instead of *racial* before a noun, saying *race identity* instead of *racial identity*. Use *racial* to describe a noun (e.g. *racial group*, *racial categories*). Many learners also think *racial* is always negative, but in this sense it can be neutral and descriptive, depending on context.
Synonyms
ethnic (Often focuses more on shared culture or nationality than on physical traits or social ideas of race.)
Antonyms
nonracial (Describes something not connected to race or that does not consider race as a factor.)
Collocations
racial identity
|racial background
|racial group
|racial diversity
|racial categories
|racial differences
Themes
society
|identity
|politics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The survey asked detailed questions about participants’ racial identity and cultural background.
- The city is known for its racial diversity and large immigrant communities.
- Government reports often break down data by racial and ethnic groups.
- They studied how racial background can influence health outcomes.
- The museum has an exhibit on the country’s racial history.
Learner examples
- The form asks you to write your racial background.
- Our school has students from many racial groups.
- She is researching racial identity in young adults.
- The book talks about racial differences in America.
- He wants to understand racial issues in his country.
adjective
C1
property
2
involving race-based prejudice
About bad or unfair behavior toward people because of their race or ethnic group.
Usage pattern:
racial [discrimination/abuse/hatred/violence/slur/tension] against [group]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse *racial* and *racist*. *Racial* describes something related to race and can be neutral or negative, depending on context. *Racist* almost always has a strong negative meaning and is used for people, actions, or ideas that clearly show prejudice (e.g. *racist remark*, *racist policy*). In many modern contexts, especially for insults or unfair behavior, *racist* is more common than *racial*.
Synonyms
racist (Stronger and more openly judgmental; usually describes people or actions that clearly show prejudice, whereas *racial* can be more descriptive or institutional.)
Antonyms
non-discriminatory (Describes treatment or policies that do not treat people differently because of race or other protected characteristics.)
Collocations
racial discrimination
|racial hatred
|racial violence
|racial abuse
|racial slur
|racial tensions
Themes
society
|politics
|conflict
|relationships
|law
Examples
- The company was taken to court over alleged racial discrimination in its hiring practices.
- She reported a colleague for making racial comments at work.
- The attack is being investigated as a racially motivated crime.
- Protesters marched through the streets to demand an end to racial violence.
- He was fired after using a racial slur during a live broadcast.
Learner examples
- They are fighting against racial discrimination in schools.
- He lost his job after he made a racial joke.
- The police are looking into possible racial motives for the crime.
- People held signs against racial violence.
- Using racial slurs is never acceptable.
adjective
technical
C2
property
3
relating to biological races
In science, about groups within a species that share inherited traits and are called races or populations.
Usage pattern:
racial [variation/traits/classification/populations]
Common mistake:
This technical sense is rarely needed in everyday English. Learners may wrongly apply this scientific use to social situations or think it is the main use of *racial*. In modern social discussions, *racial* usually refers to social ideas of race, not strict biological categories.
Synonyms
population-level (General scientific term focusing on groups of organisms without specifically using the idea of race.)
Antonyms
species-wide (Describes traits or patterns that apply to the entire species, not to particular races or populations within it.)
Collocations
racial variation
|racial traits
|racial classification
|racial populations
|racial differences
|racial groups
Themes
science
|biology
Examples
- The study examined racial variation in gene frequencies among different mouse populations.
- Early anthropologists attempted racial classification based on skull measurements, a practice now heavily criticized.
- Some older textbooks still refer to racial traits in plants and animals.
- Modern genetics has challenged many traditional ideas about racial divisions within the human species.
- The paper compares racial and geographic patterns of disease resistance in the species.
Learner examples
- The article talks about racial groups in a type of fish.
- Scientists studied racial variation in the animal’s fur color.
- Old books sometimes use racial classification in biology.
- New research questions earlier ideas about racial traits in humans.
- They looked at racial differences in a population of birds.
Grammar
Dictionary form
racial
IPA
GB/ɹˈeɪʃəl/
US/ɹˈeɪʃəl/
Syllables & stress
ra - cial (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ra)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: racial
Word family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
nonracial
adjective
antiracist
adjective
antiracism
noun
Advanced or less common
racialize
verb
racialization
noun
Expressions
racial justice
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl d͡ʒˈʌstɪs/
fixed phrase
fairness for all racial groups
A situation where people of all races are treated fairly by the law and by society.
Examples
- Many young activists are deeply involved in movements for racial justice.
- The organization focuses on racial justice and voting rights.
- They held a march to demand racial justice and police reform.
racial profiling
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl pɹˈoʊfˌaɪlɪŋ/
fixed phrase
police or security targeting by race
When police or other officials watch, stop, or search people mainly because of their race, not because of what they did.
Examples
- Civil rights groups are calling for an end to racial profiling by the police.
- The report found clear evidence of racial profiling in traffic stops.
- He spoke about his own experiences with racial profiling at airports.
racial slur
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl slˈɚ/
fixed phrase
insulting term about race
A very offensive word used to insult someone because of their race or ethnic group.
Examples
- He was suspended from the team for using a racial slur.
- The actor apologized after being caught on camera shouting a racial slur.
- Online platforms now remove posts that contain racial slurs.
racial tensions
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl tˈɛnt͡ʃənz/
fixed phrase
hostile feelings between racial groups
Angry or nervous feelings between people of different races in a place or country.
Examples
- Racial tensions increased after the controversial court decision.
- Local leaders are trying to ease racial tensions in the neighborhood.
- The film is set in a city struggling with racial tensions in the 1970s.
racially motivated
1/ɹˈeɪʃəli mˈoʊtəvˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
caused mainly by racial bias
Done mainly because of feelings or ideas about race, usually in a negative way.
Examples
- Police are treating the attack as racially motivated.
- The judge said the crime was clearly racially motivated.
- Activists demanded that the government recognize the killings as racially motivated.
racial bias
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl bˈaɪəs/
fixed phrase
tendency to judge by race
A habit or way of thinking that makes a person or system treat some races better or worse than others.
Examples
- The report showed evidence of racial bias in traffic stops.
- The study found clear racial bias in sentencing decisions.
- Training programs aim to reduce racial bias among police officers.
- They offered training to help employees recognize their own racial bias.
- The app was criticized for reflecting racial bias in its results.
racial discrimination
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl dɪskɹˌɪmənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
unfair treatment because of race
Treating people unfairly or giving them fewer chances because of their race or ethnic group.
Examples
- The commission documented cases of racial discrimination in hiring.
- The law prohibits racial discrimination in housing and employment.
- Racial discrimination remains a serious issue in many countries.
- They launched a campaign to raise awareness about racial discrimination in schools.
- She filed a complaint after facing racial discrimination at work.
racial harmony
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl hˈɑɹməni/
fixed phrase
peaceful relations between racial groups
When people of different races live and work together peacefully and with respect.
Examples
- The festival is held each year to promote racial harmony.
- The festival was created to promote racial harmony in the city.
- The city is often praised for its racial harmony.
- Schools play an important role in building racial harmony among young people.
- They see integration as a step toward racial harmony.
racial inequality
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl ˌɪnɪkwˈɑləti/
fixed phrase
unequal conditions between racial groups
Big differences in power, money, or chances in life between people of different races.
Examples
- Protesters marched to draw attention to racial inequality in the justice system.
- The documentary explores racial inequality in the education system.
- Racial inequality can be seen in employment and housing statistics.
- Racial inequality remains a major challenge in the job market.
- The report recommends steps to reduce racial inequality in schools.
- They are working on policies to reduce racial inequality in healthcare.
racial segregation
1/ɹˈeɪʃəl sˌɛɡɹəɡˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
separation of races in society
A system where people of different races are kept apart in schools, housing, or other public places, often by law.
Examples
- The museum has a powerful exhibit on racial segregation in the 1950s.
- Racial segregation on buses was once legal in many parts of the country.
- Laws enforcing racial segregation were eventually declared unconstitutional.
- The report shows that racial segregation in housing remains a serious issue.
- She wrote her thesis on the long-term effects of racial segregation in cities.