colorism

American

[kuhl-uh-riz-uhm] / ˈkʌl əˌrɪz əm /

especially British, colourism

noun

differential treatment based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, typically among those of the same racial group or ethnicity.

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.

Colorism is a loaded, intricate conversation, and I want to avoid any “us versus them” mentality.

From The Guardian • Apr. 9, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023