person of color

noun

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

In addition to the Artemis program, which seeks to land a woman and person of color on the moon for the first time, the race is on for for Mars, where drinking water would be a luxury. —Amarachi Orie, CNN, 12 July 2024

In 2021, the last year for which data are available, out of 469 hate crimes reports, 308 were allegations against persons of color. —Ron Kuby, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2024

Graebner also said that production now has access to more resources, including diversity and inclusion consultant Kira Banks and two licensed therapists, one of whom is a person of color. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 26 June 2024

Opera Carolina is the second major Charlotte performing arts group in recent months to elevate a person of color to their top leadership ranks for the first time. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above