Miscegenation

Miscegenation (/mɪˌsɛdʒɨˈneɪʃən/; from the Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind") is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, sexual relations, and procreation.

The term miscegenation has been used since the 19th century to refer to interracial marriage and interracial sex, and more generally to the process of racial admixture, which has taken place since ancient history. The term entered historical records during European colonialism and the Age of Discovery, but societies such as China and Japan also had restrictions on marrying with peoples they considered to be of a different race. Historically the term has been used in the context of laws banning interracial marriage and sex, so-called anti-miscegenation laws. Today, the use of the phrase is considered offensive.