colorism
Americannoun
Usage
What does colorism mean? Colorism is a form of racial discrimination based on the shade of an individual's skin tone, typically favoring lighter skin. It can occur both within a specific racial or ethnic group or across groups.
Etymology
Origin of colorism
First recorded in 1960–65; color (in the sense “skin complexion”) + -ism ( def. )
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.
Together they released three albums, including their 1978 “Siembra,” one of the bestselling salsa albums at that time; from the start, their track “Plastico” fused the popular disco music of the moment while addressing superficial beauty standards and colorism in Latin America.
From Los Angeles Times
“I’ve always had that inner inquietude, that kind of yearning for equality and for justice and for eliminating any kind of prejudices and racism and colorism, which is very prevalent in Mexico,” she explained.
From Los Angeles Times
Telling the story of the Black elite living in Newport, R.I., and the classism and colorism within that community was vitally important.
From Los Angeles Times
Upsetting as these demonstrations of classism and colorism are, Peggy and William’s seaside courtship is vital scenery infrequently dramatized in fictionalized histories.
From Salon
I admired how deftly she explored complex topics including racism, colorism and familial estrangement within a propulsive, poignant tale.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
