antiracial
|an-ti-ra-cial|
/ˌæn.tiˈreɪ.ʃəl/
against race-based prejudice or distinctions
Etymology
'antiracial' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' and the adjective 'racial' derived from 'race' (from French 'race').
'racial' comes from French 'race' (16th century), likely from Italian 'razza'; the prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-' via Latin and Old French. The compound 'anti-racial' or 'antiracial' appears in modern English usage in the 20th century in political and social contexts.
Initially formed simply as 'against race' or 'against racial distinctions'; over time it has been used with nuanced senses including 'opposed to racism,' 'opposed to race-based policies,' or more rarely 'not relating to race.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
opposed to racism or to racial prejudice; expressing or supporting measures that reject racial discrimination.
The organization took an antiracial stance, promoting policies to reduce racial discrimination.
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Adjective 2
rejecting or opposing race-based classifications or race-conscious policies (often used of 'color-blind' or race-neutral approaches).
Some critics argue that antiracial policies labeled as 'color-blind' can ignore structural inequalities.
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Adjective 3
not relating to race; nonracial (usage rare; often 'nonracial' is preferred).
The policy aimed to be antiracial in wording, focusing on socioeconomic criteria instead.
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Last updated: 2025/09/08 13:20