colored

American  

[kuhl-erd] / ˈkʌl ərd /

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.

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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.

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of colored

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

Example Sentences

Native to temporary freshwater pools in the African savanna, these brightly colored fish have extremely short lifespans and develop many age-related problems rapidly, making them ideal for aging research.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

Bulky surgical lights loom over a vacant room transformed into a life-size version of Twister, complete with brightly colored decals resembling the familiar red, yellow, green and blue game mat.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

And then there is his voice — perhaps at its most ravishing on “Take Care of Yourself,” a ballad from his 2011 album “Bella” — at once fierce and tender, colored by longing and loss.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Swiping through a dozen or so brightly colored cards, I’m told, in what supposedly constitutes a “framework shift”: “You have a good kid.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

The Wonder Dome had been magically transformed into a brilliant blue sky filled with brightly colored hot-air balloons.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein