coloured

coloured — adjective

1. describes something that has one or more specific colours, as opposed to being w

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes something that has one or more specific colours, as opposed to being white, black, or grey

Example

Leila wore a brightly coloured scarf around her neck on the first day of spring.

collocation: brightly coloured

The art teacher handed out a new set of coloured pencils to every student in the class.

collocation: coloured pencils

Common collocations
  • brightly coloured
  • richly coloured
  • coloured pencils
  • coloured glass
  • coloured paper
Synonyms
  • colourful

    suggests many bright colours; stronger visual impact than 'coloured'

  • dyed

    specifically about fabric or hair that has been artificially coloured

  • tinted

    usually a lighter or subtler shade; common for glass or liquids

  • hued

    more literary or technical; always paired with a modifier like 'warm-hued'

Antonyms
  • white

    achromatic; the opposite of coloured in laundry contexts

  • colourless

    completely without colour, like water or air

Usage Note

American English spells this word 'colored' (without the 'u'). This is the standard spelling in the US, while 'coloured' is used in British and Commonwealth English.

Common Mistakes

She bought a colorfull dress.
She bought a brightly coloured dress.
'coloured' is an adjective meaning 'having colour'; 'colourful' means 'having many bright colours or being interesting.'

2. an old and now offensive word for someone whose skin is not white. You should no

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

an old and now offensive word for someone whose skin is not white. You should not use this word today.

Example

In historical documents from the 1950s, the term 'coloured' was frequently used to describe non-white people.

historical usage only — do not use today

Using 'coloured' to describe someone's skin colour is now regarded as highly offensive and unacceptable.

Usage Note

This is the MOST offensive sense of 'coloured'. Never use it to describe a person or group. The acceptable modern terms depend on context: 'Black', 'person of colour', or specific ethnic/national labels are preferred. This sense is only encountered in historical texts or discussions about outdated terminology.

Common Mistakes

My neighbour is coloured.
My neighbour is Black / is a person of colour.
'coloured' as a descriptor for a person is now deeply offensive.

3. under the former apartheid system in South Africa, this term referred to someone

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

under the former apartheid system in South Africa, this term referred to someone whose parents came from different racial backgrounds. It is now often seen as offensive.

Example

Under South Africa's apartheid system, people were officially labelled as 'coloured' if they had mixed-race parents.

apartheid-era classification — now considered offensive by many

Some older South Africans still describe themselves as 'coloured', but younger generations largely reject the term.

Usage Note

In South Africa, the term has a specific historical meaning under apartheid law but is distinct from the broader offensive sense (sense 2). Some individuals and communities in South Africa still use it for self-identification, but outsiders should avoid it as it is widely considered offensive.

Common Mistakes

I met a coloured person from South Africa.
I met a South African person of mixed heritage.
using 'coloured' directly to describe someone, even in the SA context, can cause offence.

coloured — noun

coloured — suffix

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Coloured' is a broad adjective simply stating that something has colour (not white/grey/black), whereas 'colourful' goes further and implies many bright or varied colours — a 'colourful shirt' is eye-catching, but a 'coloured shirt' could be any single non-white shade. 'Dyed' refers specifically to artificially applied colour (dyed hair, dyed fabric) and suggests a change from the original. 'Tinted' describes a subtle or light colour, often in glass, liquids, or lenses ('tinted windows'). 'Hued' is more literary and nearly always modifies a specific colour name ('warm-hued', 'golden-hued'). 'Multi-coloured' means having several colours at once, like a rainbow-striped scarf. For everyday use: if you simply mean 'not white', choose 'coloured'; if you mean 'bright and varied', choose 'colourful'.

colourful ↗dyed ↗tintedhuedmulti-coloured

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • whites and coloureds
  • separate the coloureds
  • brightly coloured

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'coloured' comes from 'colour' (from Old French 'colour', from Latin 'color', meaning 'tint, hue, complexion') plus the suffix '-ed', which forms adjectives meaning 'having'. It first appeared in English around the 1300s simply meaning 'having colour'. Starting in the late 1700s, it began to be used to describe people by skin colour in colonial contexts. This racial usage became official in systems like South African apartheid (1948–1994), where 'coloured' was a legal classification for people of mixed racial background. Today the racial senses are considered offensive and are only used historically. The American spelling 'colored' (without 'u') reflects standard US simplification of '-our' endings.