race
B1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A competition of speed, such as running, driving, or sailing.
1. A situation where people compete to achieve something first. 2. Any of the major groupings into which humankind is sometimes divided, based on physical characteristics or shared ancestry. 3. A strong current of water, especially through a narrow channel. 4. The rootstock or rhizome of ginger.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word carries two primary, distinct meanings: one related to competition/speed and one related to ethnicity/ancestry. Careful context is required to avoid ambiguity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Race' (ethnic) is more sensitive in both varieties; 'race' (competition) is identical. 'Race day' is common in both for sporting events.
Connotations
The ethnic sense is highly charged and often avoided in favour of more specific terms like 'ethnicity' or 'ancestry'.
Frequency
The 'competition' sense is slightly more frequent in general usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to race + OBJECT (He raced the car)to race + ADVERBIAL/PARTICLE (He raced down the street)to race + to INFINITIVE (She raced to finish the report)to race + against/with + OBJECT (We're racing against the clock)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A race against time”
- “A rat race”
- “A two-horse race”
- “To race to the bottom”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to intense competition between companies (e.g., 'the race to develop AI').
Academic
Used in social sciences discussing ethnicity and identity; in biology/genetics, usage is highly contested and often replaced.
Everyday
Primarily refers to sports competitions or hurrying.
Technical
In engineering, can refer to a bearing race (the track of a ball bearing). In hydrology, a tidal race.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He'll race his new car at Silverstone.
- I raced to catch the last train home.
- Her mind was racing with ideas.
American English
- She raced her bike in the state championship.
- They're racing to complete the project before the deadline.
- His pulse raced with excitement.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb. 'Race-fast' is a possible compound.
American English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb. 'Race-quick' is a possible compound.
adjective
British English
- He's a race car driver.
- The race day schedule is packed.
- They attended a race meeting at Ascot.
American English
- She works for a race team.
- Race conditions in the software caused the crash.
- The race weekend draws huge crowds.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children had a race in the park.
- My favourite sport is car racing.
- Rabbits can run very fast in a race.
- It was a very close race for first place.
- Scientists often debate the concept of race.
- She raced upstairs to answer the phone.
- The two companies are locked in a race to launch the new product.
- The documentary explored issues of race and class in modern society.
- Fearing he was late, he raced through the crowded streets.
- The geopolitical tensions sparked a new arms race in the region.
- The study critically deconstructed the historical construction of race.
- Adrenaline was racing through her veins as she prepared for the speech.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
RACE: Run A Competitive Event.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A RACE (e.g., 'the rat race', 'getting a head start in life'). TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT TO BE RACED AGAINST ('a race against time').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'race' (ethnic) directly as 'раса' without considering context; 'nationality' or 'ethnicity' may be more accurate. The 'competition' sense is 'гонка' or 'забег'. 'Race' (water current) is 'стрежень' or 'быстрина'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'race' as a scientific biological category (it's a social construct). Confusing 'race' with 'ethnicity' or 'nationality'. Using the verb without an object where needed ('His heart was racing' is correct; 'He was racing' is ambiguous).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'race' LEAST appropriate as a neutral, modern term?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a common social category, but it is often imprecise and can be offensive. Terms like 'ethnicity', 'cultural background', or 'ancestry' are frequently preferred for accuracy and sensitivity.
'Race' implies a high speed, often in competition or urgency. 'Run' is more general, meaning moving quickly on foot. You can run without racing (e.g., for exercise), but racing always involves speed/competition.
Yes, very commonly. Examples include 'arms race', 'space race', 'political race' (election), and 'race to market' in business.
It's a flaw where a system's output depends on the sequence/timing of uncontrollable events, like two threads trying to access shared data simultaneously, leading to unpredictable results.