person of color
noun phrase
plural people of color also persons of color
: a person whose skin pigmentation is other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white (see white entry 1 sense 2a) : a person who is of a race (see race entry 1 sense 1a) other than white or who is of mixed race
People of color account for 43 percent of the active-duty military, but the top ranks are largely white and male.—
Helene Cooper
Helene CooperBecause we are so accustomed to talking about race in terms of black and white, we often fail to recognize and contest expressions of racism that target people of color who are not black.—Angela Y. Davis
Angela Y. DavisExamples of person of color in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That includes the 2001 death sentence for Miguel Augustine Lopez, who was condemned after Anderson successfully managed to keep every person of color from sitting on his jury.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Before the assignment, Grandberry, a second-generation American whose grandparents emigrated from Jamaica, didn’t understand how a person of color could identify as a Republican.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The rule requires that teams interview external candidates who are persons of color or women for coaching and front office jobs.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
Of the 1,262 applications submitted this year, nearly half of applicants identified as a person of color; nearly 20% self-identified as an immigrant; 13% as the child of an immigrant and 10% as a person with a disability.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 20 May 2026
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Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Before the assignment, Grandberry, a second-generation American whose grandparents emigrated from Jamaica, didn’t understand how a person of color could identify as a Republican.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The rule requires that teams interview external candidates who are persons of color or women for coaching and front office jobs.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
Of the 1,262 applications submitted this year, nearly half of applicants identified as a person of color; nearly 20% self-identified as an immigrant; 13% as the child of an immigrant and 10% as a person with a disability.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for person of color
Cite this Entry
“Person of color.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/person%20of%20color. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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