Meaning & use
colorism
Last updated
Prejudice or discrimination against people with darker skin tones, typically among people of the same racial or ethnic group.
See it in a sentence
The film explores colorism within the community and how it affects self-esteem.
Activists have pushed advertisers to address colorism in casting and beauty standards.
A note on using this word
Distinct from racism, since colorism can occur within a single racial or ethnic group based on shade of skin rather than race itself.
Words with a similar meaning
shadeism
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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