What does "racial" mean?

1. (relating to race) relating to a person's race or the differences between human groups. 2. (gaming ability) in video games, a special power or skill that a character has because of their race.

How do you use "racial"?

Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

racial

adj. · n.

US //ˈɹeɪʃəɫ// UK //ɹˈeɪʃəl// racial

1 relating to race (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

relating to a person's race or the differences between human groups.

relating to or characteristic of a human race or the relations between different races.

Example

The city is working hard to improve racial harmony among its diverse residents.

Example

The researchers examined the racial composition of the neighborhood to understand how historical housing policies had influenced modern demographics.

Usage

Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
- ethnic
2 gaming ability (n.)
C1 Advanced Slang Informal Computing

in video games, a special power or skill that a character has because of their race.

a specific trait, ability, or bonus granted to a character based on their chosen fantasy race within a game system.

Example

My character has a racial that lets me see in the dark.

Example

The latest patch nerfed the human racial, making it less effective in high-level competitive play.

Teacher's tip

This is highly specific to gaming communities and would not be understood in a general social context.
- trait
- ability

Origin

From race + -ial.