colored
Americanadjective
-
having color.
-
Older Use: Offensive. belonging wholly or in part to any group of nonwhite people, especially to Black people.
-
Older Use: Offensive. pertaining to Black people.
-
influenced or biased.
colored opinions.
-
The authorities detected a colored quality in her statement.
-
Botany. of some hue other than green.
noun
-
Older Use: Offensive.
-
a Black person.
-
the colored, Black people as a group.
-
Sensitive Note
See Black 1.
Usage
Spelling tips for colored The word colored is hard to spell for three reasons. First, it can be tempting to use a double l or double r. Second, in British English, the word is spelled with a u (colored), unlike in American English. Finally, the ending -ed is pronounced simply [ d ], so one may forget the e. How to spell colored: When it comes to color, keep it simple. You don't need any extra letters, like a double l, double r, or u. For adjectives like colored that end with the sound [ d ], remember that you will always need a little Extra (e) to get it Done, -ed.
Other Word Forms
- half-colored adjective
- uncolored adjective
- uncoloredly adverb
- uncoloredness noun
- undercolored adjective
- well-colored adjective
Etymology
Origin of colored
A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; color, -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People who meet Reese in his brightly colored paraphernalia could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Since it operated without the pouches of chromatic gel that Samaras had previously manipulated, he employed double exposures, colored lights, and paint to alter his images.
Duane watched him pick up a small, thin piece of wood and apply splotches of different colored goo along the border.
From Literature
“It was like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ — walking out into a colored world,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
Researchers believe the crest was brightly colored during the dinosaur's lifetime and arched upward like a curved blade, likely serving as a dramatic display structure.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
