Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to a group of people who share a common cultural, national, or racial heritage: "Ethnical" describes something that is characteristic of or derived from a specific ethnic group, particularly their shared customs, traditions, and social practices.
   • Pertaining to ethnicity or ethnic affiliation: It denotes a connection to the cultural identity of a human population.

Usage

• The adjective "ethnical" is used to describe nouns related to the cultural characteristics, origins, or social structures of an ethnic group. It is synonymous with "ethnic" and is used in formal or academic contexts, though "ethnic" is more common in modern usage.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The museum's exhibit focused on the ethnical diversity of the region.
  • Anthropologists study ethnical traditions to understand societal evolution.
  • The festival celebrated the ethnical music and dance of the indigenous community.

Advanced Usage

• "Ethnical background": A person's heritage based on their ethnic group.
  • Her research considers the participants' ethnical background as a key factor.
• "Ethnical identity": The sense of belonging to a particular ethnic group.
  • The community works to preserve its ethnical identity through language schools.

Variants and Related Words

• Ethnic (adj): The more frequently used form with the same meaning as "ethnical."
  • The city is known for its ethnic neighborhoods.
• Ethnicity (n): The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.
  • The census form asks for information about ethnicity.

Synonyms

• Cultural: Relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society.
• Racial: Relating to the major groupings of humankind, though this often has a stronger biological connotation than "ethnical," which is more cultural.
• National: Relating to a nation; common, but "ethnical" can refer to groups within or across national boundaries.

Notes on Usage

• The term "ethnical" is considered a standard variant of "ethnic," but "ethnic" is overwhelmingly more prevalent in contemporary English across all registers (academic, journalistic, everyday speech). "Ethnical" may occasionally be found in older texts or very formal anthropological writings.

Adjective

1. denoting or deriving from or distinctive of the ways of living built up by a group of people
   • influenced by ethnic and cultural ties- J.F.Kennedy
   • ethnic food