What does coloured mean?
'Coloured' means having colour, or having a specific colour or range of colours, and stands as the British-spelled counterpart of the American word 'colored' — the extra letter 'u' being the hallmark of British orthography. It describes everything from fabrics and artworks to leaves and photographs, often appearing in intensified forms such as 'brightly coloured', 'richly coloured', or 'vividly coloured'. Beyond its literal use, the word carries an important figurative sense: opinions, memories, and judgments can be said to be 'coloured' by experience or emotion, meaning subtly influenced or biased by them. As a verb form, it serves as the past tense and past participle of 'to colour'. Historically, 'coloured' was also used as a racial label, a usage now regarded as outdated and offensive in Britain, though it retains distinct legal and social meanings in South Africa. Writers today should favour it for describing hue and tint, while handling its other senses with care.
Having colour, or having a particular colour; not monochrome.
"The market stalls were piled high with brightly coloured fruit."
British/Commonwealth spelling; US English uses 'colored'.
Past tense and past participle of 'to colour': to have added colour to something, or to have influenced or distorted something.
"She coloured the sky in shades of orange and pink."
Also appears in the passive: 'The account was coloured by hindsight.'
The single letter 'u' in coloured marks one of the most famous divides between British and American English — a divide Noah Webster deliberately set out to erase.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coloured
'Coloured' derives from 'colour', which entered Middle English from Old French 'colour' (modern French 'couleur'), itself from Latin 'color' meaning hue or complexion. The Latin root is related to the verb 'celare', meaning to conceal, giving the original sense of something that hides or tints what lies beneath. The '-ed' adjective form arose naturally in Middle English as a participial adjective meaning provided with colour. Its cognates include Romance descendants such as Spanish 'color' and Italian 'colore', all tracing back to the same Latin noun.
Related word forms
How coloured is actually used
In British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand English, 'coloured' is the standard spelling; American English uses 'colored'. When applied to race, the term is now widely considered dated or offensive in British usage, and should be avoided. The figurative sense ('coloured by bias') is well established and neutral.
Easily confused with coloured
'Colored' is simply the American spelling of the same word, while 'coloured' with the letter 'u' follows British and Commonwealth orthography.