What does decolourisation mean?
Decolourisation is the process of removing colour from a material or object, most commonly through bleaching or another chemical treatment. It is especially associated with hair, textiles, wood pulp and paper, but the term also appears in industrial and environmental contexts, including the treatment of coloured wastewater. The word is chiefly used in British English and international English, while American English normally spells it decolorization. Because the process can affect both appearance and material properties, decolourisation may involve more than simply fading a surface: it can require controlled concentrations, temperatures and durations to achieve a consistent result without damaging what is being treated. Although often understood through beauty and laundry applications, the term also has important technical uses in manufacturing, recycling and pollution control.
nounThe process of removing colour from a material or object, especially by bleaching or chemical treatment.
- The removal of colour from a material or object, especially through bleaching or chemical treatment.
"The decolourisation of the textiles was achieved with a carefully controlled bleaching process."
"Decolourisation of the wastewater reduced the amount of colour released into the river."
"She went to the salon for a decolourisation before her hair was dyed a completely new shade."
Usually uncountable when referring to the general process, but the plural may distinguish separate instances of colour removal.
"The two decolourisations produced noticeably different shades."
From bleaching hair to brightening paper pulp, decolourisation is the process that makes colours disappear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does decolourisation come from?
English decolourisation was formed on colour using the prefix de-, meaning removal or reversal, and the suffix -isation, indicating a process or action. Colour entered Middle English through Anglo-French and ultimately derives from Latin color. The same root appears in coloration, discoloration and recolorization, which express related processes involving colour.
Related word forms
How decolourisation is actually used
The word is technical or process-oriented but is also familiar from beauty and textile contexts. It is usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the process in general.
Easily confused with decolourisation
Decolorization is the standard American spelling of the same process.
Decolourisation removes colour from a material, whereas discolouration describes a change in which colour is lost or altered.