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

And a cross-country road trip—an exciting, liberating adventure for someone like Jack Kerouac—can be an anxious journey full of threat and potential violence for a person of color. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Kirk was also outspoken about his controversial political views during debates and podcasts, such as his pro-life and anti-gun control stances, criticism of LGBTQ+ and person of color rights and conservative opinions about the roles of women. — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Across the biggest jobs in corporate America, the chief executives and the chief financial and operating officers, fewer than one in seven seats belongs to a person of color, and only a hair more to a woman. — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

At the time, sparsely settled Los Angeles was a land of relative possibility for a person of color. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 June 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