mulatto
Americannoun
plural
mulattoes, mulattos-
Anthropology. (not in technical use) the offspring of one white parent and one Black parent.
-
Older Use: Offensive. a person who has both Black and white ancestors.
adjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of mulatto
First recorded in 1585–95; from Spanish mulato “young mule,” equivalent to mul(o) mule 1 + -ato of unclear origin
Compare meaning
How does mulatto compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The noun mulatto is an outdated term for someone with one black parent and one white parent. This word is now considered to be offensive. It was common to describe a person with both black and white ancestry as a mulatto during the period of slavery in the United States. Because of its dehumanizing roots and usage, this word has fallen out of favor. Today, people are more likely to use terms like multiracial or mixed race — or simply to identify their specific cultural and ethnic heritage.
Vocabulary lists containing mulatto
Twelve Years a Slave
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Black Like Me
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
How does “Passing” try to rebuke the tragic mulatto trope and why do you think Hollywood has historically ignored stories like this?
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2021
Another explanation lies in the easy tendency to lump the story in with the "tragic mulatto" trope, a crude designation defined by works like Fannie Hurst's "Imitation of Life."
From Salon • Nov. 11, 2021
The question of a person’s “color” first appeared on the 1850 Census, with three options given: white, black or mulatto.
From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021
Sido was the daughter of a mulatto merchant from Martinique and a French woman from Versailles, and had grown up in a bourgeois but politically liberal milieu in Brussels.
From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2019
The only one who accepted was Aureliano Triste, a big mulatto with the drive and explorer’s spirit of his grandfather.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
