local color

American  

noun

1. distinctive, sometimes picturesque characteristics or peculiarities of a place or period as represented in literature or drama, or as observed in reality.

2. Fine Arts. the natural color of a particular object as it appears in normal light.

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Etymology

Origin of local color

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

Your Montana of “Die, My Love” is also unique, filled with local color but almost an abstract place where a marital unraveling can take center stage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

This moody neo-noir is peppered with car chases and local color, though it’s primarily a character study, about a man forced by circumstance to confront the failures of his past.

From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2024

Hughes also predicted that global diets will become more uniform, since the loss of agricultural and livestock variety will lead to a loss of local color in diets.

From Salon • May 4, 2023

Whether you’re looking for the best neutral paint color for your home or you’re ready for something a bit outside your comfort zone, start by considering these 15 factors, with tips from local color experts.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2021

They’re tourists, from Japan it looks like, a trade delegation perhaps, on a tour of the historic landmarks or out for local color.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood