brownface

noun

brown·​face ˈbrau̇n-ˌfās 

: dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a person of color usually of Latin American, Middle Eastern, or South Asian descent and especially to mock or ridicule such people compare blackface

Note: The use of brownface makeup is considered deeply offensive.

Examples of brownface in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

John Leguizamo, introducing Television Academy chair Cris Abrego, made a fiery speech calling out the plentiful brownface in Hollywood’s past and celebrating the diversity among this year’s nominees (34 actors of color were nominated in the performance categories). —Constance Grady, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024

The editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit, Adam Rapoport, resigned after a photo of him and his wife dressed in brownface for Halloween in 2013 surfaced. —Emma Colton, Washington Examiner, 11 June 2020

The practice of brownface—a close cousin of yellowface that involved a white actor darkening their skin through mounds of makeup to cosplay as South Asian—was a routine charade for many white actors. —Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

brown entry 1 + (black)face

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above