Interracial describes a relationship, interaction, or situation involving people of different races. An interracial friendship connects people whose families come from different racial backgrounds. An interracial marriage joins partners of different races.

You might read about interracial cooperation on a team where students from different backgrounds work together, or interracial adoption where parents and children are of different races.

In American history, interracial marriage was illegal in some states until 1967, when the Supreme Court ruled those laws unconstitutional. Today, interracial families and friendships are common and celebrated, though this wasn't always the case.

The word simply describes a factual situation without suggesting anything good or bad about it. When you notice that something is interracial, you're observing that it crosses racial lines. A school might track whether its student leadership is interracial to ensure all backgrounds are represented. A movie might feature an interracial cast to reflect the diversity of real communities.