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.

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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.

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Sensitive Note

See Black ¹.

Etymology

Origin of person of color

First recorded in 1785–90