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

These colorations play a significant role in the survival of wildlife by functioning as a form of concealment, temperature regulation or communication. —Elizabeth Carlen, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024

Sixty-five percent, that is—their estimate of the leaf coloration in this tree, a shock of red-orange in an area that, on just the second day of fall, is still mostly green. —Benjamin Cassidy, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024

Dom Pérignon’s iconic shield emblem and Basquiat’s iconic three-pronged crown is a fitting design pairing, made all the more playful by Basquiat’s genius coloration. —Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024

Comparing it with the second image in the series (below) — in which the young girl has one too many fingers — the puppy’s muzzle has a different coloration and the boat is a different shape and color. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024

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

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