colored

[ kuhl-erd ]

adjective

1. having color.
2. Older Use: Offensive. belonging wholly or in part to any group of nonwhite people, especially to Black people.
3. Older Use: Offensive. pertaining to Black people.
4. influenced or biased:

   colored opinions.

5. specious; deceptive:

   The authorities detected a colored quality in her statement.

6. Botany. of some hue other than green.

noun

1. Older Use: Offensive.
   1. a Black person.
   2. the colored, Black people as a group.
2. Cape Colored.

Sensitive Note

See Black ¹.

Other Words From

• half-colored adjective
• un·colored adjective
• un·colored·ly adverb
• un·colored·ness noun
• under·colored adjective
• well-colored adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colored¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; color, -ed ³

Example Sentences

How do you celebrate when happy occasions are colored by loss and absence?

From The Daily Beast

“I had this horrible secret and it colored everything I did,” said Roome.

From The Daily Beast

The Arab women wore their colored hejabs, and the non-Muslim women dressed modestly and without a veil.

From The Daily Beast

Not surprisingly, many Hongkongers have been taking taxis, which may also have colored some opinions.

From The Daily Beast

The massive inflatable structure is filled with multi-colored light and takes a prehistoric yet futuristic shape.

From The Daily Beast

He conceived an idea of securing agents among the colored people, and in that way effect a good sale.

From Project Gutenberg

The clear, straw-colored fluid which is left after separation of the coagulum is called blood-serum.

From Project Gutenberg

The intricate perforations of the lamp were inset with colored glass, and the result was a subdued and warm illumination.

From Project Gutenberg

A light-colored mulatto boy, in dress coat and bearing a diminutive silver tray for the reception of cards, admitted them.

From Project Gutenberg

In the nine differently colored circular tracks, rolled little globes representing the planets.

From Project Gutenberg

How Do You Spell Colored?

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.