What does multiracial mean?
Multiracial is an adjective describing people, identities, families, communities, or institutions that involve more than one racial or ethnic background. It is often used for someone whose ancestry includes multiple racial groups, as well as for a society whose population is racially diverse. The word can carry a positive social significance by recognizing identities and communities that do not fit neatly into a single racial category. However, its meaning depends on context: in personal descriptions it may be more precise than the broader term multicultural, while in discussions of populations or institutions it often emphasizes racial composition rather than cultural practices. Multiracial is especially common in contemporary US English and is used in education, demographics, identity, and public discourse.
adjectiveRelating to or describing people of more than one racial or ethnic background. It may also refer to communities, identities, families, or institutions formed from multiple racial groups.
- Consisting of or involving people from more than one racial or ethnic background.
- Relating to a person or identity formed from multiple racial heritages.
- Denoting a community, institution, or population made up of several racial groups.
"The school celebrates its multiracial student body by recognizing the many cultures represented in the community."
"She is multiracial, with roots in both Caribbean and European families."
"The organization works to support a multiracial and multicultural coalition."
Multiracial identities show how human ancestry often crosses the neat boundaries that the word “race” sometimes suggests.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does multiracial come from?
Multiracial combines the prefix multi-, meaning “more than one,” with racial, which derives from race. Both elements ultimately concern identifiable groups and their shared ancestry or history. The combination became established in the 20th century, particularly in discussions of people and communities with multiple racial backgrounds.
Related word forms
How multiracial is actually used
The term is primarily adjectival and is especially common in US English. It is generally neutral, though some speakers prefer terms such as mixed-race, biracial, or of more than one racial background when describing an individual with a specific ancestry.
Easily confused with multiracial
Multiracial describes people or identities involving more than one racial background, whereas multicultural describes a society or community containing several cultural traditions.
Biracial more precisely means having two racial backgrounds, while multiracial can refer to people, communities, or identities involving multiple racial backgrounds.