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 Word Forms

• half-colored adjective
• uncolored adjective
• uncoloredly adverb
• uncoloredness noun
• undercolored adjective
• well-colored adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colored¹

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

Example Sentences

An individual player’s performance in the game can be posted online without revealing the answer, as the colored tiles are shown without the letters.

From Los Angeles Times

This year’s brutal labor negotiations were colored by the $4 billion settlement with officials saying the county couldn’t give significant raises to workers because of the massive payout.

From Los Angeles Times

All around me were crumbling walls that revealed their history in layers, like rings on a tree: from grey stone, to copper colored brick, to cement, to the green and white flaking paint.

From Salon

Fear of such an action colored the last shutdown standoff and was even expressed by Schumer.

From Salon

In the real world, Chishiya has opted for a darker colored suit, but still sports his signature platinum locks.

From Salon

When To Use

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.