colorize

American  

[kuhl-uh-rahyz] / ˈkʌl əˌraɪz /

especially British, colorise

verb (used with object)

colorized, colorizing

1. to cause to appear in color; enhance with color, especially by computer.

   to colorize old black-and-white movies for television.

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Other Word Forms

• colorization noun

Etymology

Origin of colorize

First recorded in 1955–60; color + -ize

Example Sentences

Why did they colorize the blood on one victim’s face, but not any blood on the zombies?

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2022

When combined with Adobe’s existing colorize filter for adding color to black-and-white photos, the two filters can quickly bring an old photo to life, even if the end result looks a bit cartoony.

From The Verge • Jun. 14, 2022

Then Jackson turned to the company Stereo D to colorize the film’s centerpiece clips.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2018

So perhaps being able to colorize old family black and white photographs with the home computer isn’t that farfetched or far off.

From Time • Feb. 24, 2013

But some lifeless specimens have slipped into the language, among them colorize, prioritize, and finalize, and they’re probably going to be around for a while.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner