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

Because 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

Examples of person of color in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As for underrepresented status, half of all films released by Disney (50%), Lionsgate (50%), and Sony Pictures (50%) were led by a person of color. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026

There was only one person of color hired. —Calvin Watkins feb. 2, Dallas Morning News, 2 Feb. 2026

There were no questions about how a scholarship set aside for a person of color hasn’t been given out in years, or why four of five professors approved for and then abruptly denied tenure were minorities. —Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026

There were no questions about how a scholarship set aside for a person of color hasn’t been given out in years, or why four of five professors approved for and then abruptly denied tenure were minorities. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for person of color

• bicolor
• concolor
• discolor
• tricolor
• colour
• culler
• duller
• multicolor
• technicolor
• unicolor
• versicolor
• watercolor