coloration

noun

col·​or·​a·​tion ˌkə-lə-ˈrā-shən 

1

a

: the state of having color

the dark coloration of his skin

b

: use or choice of colors (as by an artist)

c

: arrangement of colors

the coloration of a butterfly's wing

2

a

: characteristic quality

the newspapers … took on the former coloration of the magazine

—L. B. Seltzer

b

: aspect suggesting an attitude

the chameleon talent for taking on the intellectual coloration of whatever idea he happened to fasten onto

—Budd Schulberg

3

: subtle variation of intensity or quality of tone

a wide range of coloration from the orchestra

Examples of coloration in a Sentence

the coloration of a flower

the bright yellow coloration of the curtains

wine glasses with circle designs and blue and green colorations

He attempted to give a religious coloration to the war.

Recent Examples on the Web

The film’s precise juxtapositions of sight and sound produce brilliant flashes of insight, cascading specifics of texture and emotional coloration, and a cumulatively seductive, almost musical flow. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025

Watch for separation between shell and filling, or an uneven surface or coloration at the bottom of a bonbon. —Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2025

Joro spiders are large and brightly colored arachnids with a body span of up to 4 inches, according to The Pennsylvania State University, and with vibrant yellow and black coloration. —Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 26 Sep. 2024

So the next-level coloration is quite likely to serve more than one role. —Jason Bittel, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin colōrātiōn-, colōrātiō, from Latin colōrāre "to color entry 2" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing coloration

• warning coloration

Rhymes for coloration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

coloration

noun

col·​or·​ation

ˌkəl-ə-ˈrā-shən

1

: use or arrangement of colors or shades : coloring

study the coloration of a flower

2

: the state of having color