colorism

[ kuhl-uh-riz-uhm ]

noun
  1. differential treatment based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, typically among those of the same racial group or ethnicity.

Origin of colorism

1
First recorded in 1960–65; color (in the sense “skin complexion”) + -ism
  • Also especially British, col·our·ism .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024