person of color

American  

[pur-suhn uhv kuhl-er] / ˈpɜr sən əv ˈkʌl ər /

noun

people of color, plural persons of color plural

1. a person who is not white.

   The corporation was especially eager to recruit women and people of color.

---

person of color Idioms  

1. A nonwhite person, such as someone of African or Native American descent. For example, They have made a genuine effort to promote persons of color to executive positions. This seemingly modern euphemism actually dates from the late 1700s and was revived in the late 1900s.

---

Sensitive Note

See Black ¹.

Etymology

Origin of person of color

First recorded in 1785–90

Example Sentences

The result of these two efforts is why today about a quarter of Congress is represented by a person of color, but it is especially thanks to Section 2.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

He will become the first Black man -- and person of color, period -- to travel to the Moon.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

But every dancer in our film was a person of color, a Latin dancer, people from the Black community, and they are also at the top of their game on Broadway.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

The National Theatre is among the cultural treasures of the U.K., so it is history-making that the institution is now headed by Indhu Rubasingham, the first woman and person of color in charge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

In 1962, when I had attended the mostly white San Francisco State University for two years, I found myself living among an enclave of students where I was the only person of color.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals