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 Most of the book challenges in 2023 were against books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQ community, according to the ALA. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 11 Jan. 2024 Butler becomes the first out gay person of color to serve in the Senate, and the first out LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber. Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023 Despite her mixed heritage, Ali was deemed a person of color by the state. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Dolezal made headlines in 2015 when it was revealed that, despite leading the Spokane chapter of the NAACP and claiming a detailed heritage as a person of color, Dolezal’s parents were both White with European ancestry. Aj Willingham, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Weaver says the latest funding round is a critical step in scaling the first spirits conglomerate built by a woman and person of color. Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 Pros: Scott's mellow temperament and traditional conservative values could tame fears about Trump's erratic decision-making — and Republicans could benefit from having a person of color on the ticket. Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024 The show highlighted research that indicated some patients no longer need a perfect-match donor for a transplant, which increases a person of color's odds of finding a potential donor from between 47 and 60 percent to between 84 percent and 93 percent. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024 In the series, Wilson struggles with his responsibilities as a superhero and being a person of color. Kimanzi Constable, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'person of color.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of person of color was in 1778

Dictionary Entries Near 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 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!