person of color
noun phrase
plural people of color also persons of color
: a person whose skin pigmentation is other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white (see white entry 1 sense 2a) : a person who is of a race (see race entry 1 sense 1a) other than white or who is of mixed race
People of color account for 43 percent of the active-duty military, but the top ranks are largely white and male.—
Helene Cooper
Helene CooperBecause we are so accustomed to talking about race in terms of black and white, we often fail to recognize and contest expressions of racism that target people of color who are not black.—Angela Y. Davis
Angela Y. DavisExamples of person of color in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If all goes to plan, the mission will bring the first woman, person of color and non-American close to the moon.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
All of a sudden, this is one of the most popular shows in the world, and the main character has a boss who’s a person of color.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
This first Artemis crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian, products of a more diversified astronaut corps.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Thurmond, who is Black and Latino, posted a video accusing the party of urging every person of color to drop out of the race.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for person of color
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Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
All of a sudden, this is one of the most popular shows in the world, and the main character has a boss who’s a person of color.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
This first Artemis crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian, products of a more diversified astronaut corps.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Thurmond, who is Black and Latino, posted a video accusing the party of urging every person of color to drop out of the race.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for person of color
Cite this Entry
“Person of color.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/person%20of%20color. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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