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Meaning & use

pigmentation

noun·Academicbiologymedical

Last updated

UK/ˌpɪɡmənˈteɪʃən/
US/ˌpɪɡmənˈteɪʃən/

Meanings

  1. noununcountablebiology

    The natural coloring of skin, hair, eyes, feathers or leaves, caused by substances called pigments.

    Grammar: Uncountable: skin pigmentation, not a pigmentation.

    Patterns

    • pigmentation of something
    • skin pigmentation

    Melanin controls the pigmentation of human skin and hair.

    The bird's bright pigmentation helps it attract a mate.

    Scientists studied how pigmentation varies among populations.

  2. noununcountablemedical

    Darker or lighter patches on the skin, often caused by sun, age, hormones or injury.

    Grammar: Often used without an article in everyday health talk: she is concerned about pigmentation on her face.

    Patterns

    • treat pigmentation
    • pigmentation on the face

    She used sunscreen daily to prevent pigmentation on her cheeks.

    The dermatologist offered a treatment for uneven pigmentation.

    Pigmentation sometimes appears after a skin injury has healed.

Common combinations

skin pigmentation
Skin pigmentation depends on the amount of melanin.
uneven pigmentation
Sun exposure can lead to uneven pigmentation.
reduce pigmentation
This cream claims to reduce pigmentation.
loss of pigmentation
Loss of pigmentation can cause pale patches on the skin.
abnormal pigmentation
The doctor checked the abnormal pigmentation on his arm.

Synonyms and how they differ

coloration
Coloration is a general word for the pattern of colors on any animal or plant, whereas pigmentation stresses the pigments that cause the color.
coloring
Coloring is the everyday, informal word for natural color, while pigmentation sounds scientific.
complexion
Complexion refers only to the natural color and look of the face, so it is narrower than pigmentation.

Opposites

depigmentation

Word family

pigment noun
a substance that gives color to something
pigmented adjective
colored by pigment
hyperpigmentation noun
darker patches on the skin
depigmentation noun
loss of natural color
pigment verb
to color with a pigment

Commonly confused: pigmentation or pigment?

pigmentation vs pigment

A pigment is the actual substance that gives color, while pigmentation is the resulting color or the process of coloring.

Practice

Melanin is the substance that determines the ___ of human skin.

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