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Synonyms

coloration

American  
[kuhl-uh-ray-shuhn] / ˌkʌl əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. appearance with regard to color arrangement or use of colors; coloring.

    the bold coloration of some birds.


coloration British  
/ ˌkʌləˈreɪʃən /

noun

  1. arrangement of colour and tones; colouring

  2. the colouring or markings of insects, birds, etc See also apatetic aposematic cryptic

  3. unwanted extraneous variations in the frequency response of a loudspeaker or listening environment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of coloration

First recorded in 1605–15; color + -ation

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.

See Examples For:

Where many people might see a plant-eating bug with light yellow coloration and a splash of red accents, Sarah Schroeder sees, in a way, Taylor Swift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Females have striking coloration around the groin and thighs, where orange or light blue tones can appear alongside black spots.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

In response, crews reportedly used hydrogen peroxide treatments to address water quality issues, restoring just the outer rim of the pool to its blue coloration while leaving other areas still very green in appearance.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

These fossils are exceptionally rare because they preserved not only the feathers but also their original coloration, thanks to unique fossilization conditions in the region.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026

Barred coloration helps this breed hide from predators.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

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