colorism

noun

col·​or·​ism ˈkə-lə-ˌri-zəm 

-lər-ˌi-zəm

variants or British colourism

: prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin

Under this system of colorism—the system which prevailed in my childhood in Jamaica, and which has carried over to the present—rarely will dark and light people co-mingle. Rarely will they achieve between themselves an intimacy informed with identity.

—Michelle Cliff

What writer Alice Walker defined as colorism, the preferential or prejudicial treatment of same-race people based on skin color, continues to this day. And as she once wrote, unless we exorcise it "we cannot as a people progress. For colorism, like colonialism, sexism and racism, impedes us."

—Itabari Njeri

Examples of colorism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the actress’ hiring was announced, there was an outcry over allegations of colorism due to Stenberg’s mixed-race status and lighter skin tone. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

But the Cochin Jewish community's complex history includes both religious freedom and internal divisions over class and colorism. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

But Stenberg has faced backlash over her casting as Princess Amari in the film adaptation due to allegations of colorism, Variety reported. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 30 July 2026

Colorism Adds Another Layer Within communities of color, discussions around beauty and credibility cannot be separated from colorism. — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

color entry 1 + -ism, after racism

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for colorism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism