What does colorise mean?
Colourise is a verb meaning to add colour to something, most commonly referring to the conversion of black-and-white photographs or film footage into colour. The practice ranges from traditional hand-tinting, in which artists applied pigments directly to photographic prints, to modern digital techniques that assign realistic hues to greyscale images. Colourisation has become especially prominent in documentaries and film restoration, where archive footage is digitally colourised to make historical events feel immediate and vivid to contemporary audiences. The word follows the pattern of verbs formed with the suffix -ise (or -ize in American spelling), and its American counterpart is colorize. While colourising can breathe new life into historical imagery, it also sparks debate among archivists and historians, who caution that adding colour may shape viewers' perceptions of the past. The word is neutral in register and widely understood across British and American English.
verbTo add colour to something, especially converting black-and-white film, photographs, or footage into colour, or applying a colour tint to an image or object.
- To convert black-and-white photographs or film into colour, whether by hand-tinting or digital processing.
- To apply or add colour to something generally, giving it a coloured appearance.
"The studio hired a specialist team to colourise the archive footage of the 1953 coronation."
"The museum digitally colourised Victorian portraits for its new exhibition."
"She used software to colourise old family photos her grandmother had taken in the 1940s."
Every colourised war documentary you've ever watched was made possible by this one little verb.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colorise
Colourise derives from 'colour', which traces back through Old French 'colour' to the Latin 'color', meaning hue or complexion. The verb was formed with the suffix -ise, which builds verbs from nouns or adjectives and ultimately comes from Greek via Latin and French. The related American spelling colorize reflects the same formation. Cognates sharing the Latin root include discolor, coloration, and the adjective chromatic (via the Greek cognate chrōma).
Related word forms
How colorise is actually used
The spelling colourise is standard in British English, while colorize is preferred in American English. The word is strongly associated with photography and film restoration, and carries connotations of bringing historical images vividly to life — though some critics argue that colourising archival material alters historical authenticity.
Easily confused with colorise
Colonise means to establish control over a territory or settle it, while colorise means to add colour to an image or object.