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local color
noun
: the presentation of the features and peculiarities of a particular locality and its inhabitants in writing
Examples of local color in a Sentence
a writer who uses local color in his stories
Recent Examples on the Web
There are boys, men, grandparents, and local color, but Lorelei and Rory Gilmore are the twin suns of this solar system—and their love, humor, and rat-a-tat dialogue delight.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 June 2024
The local color varies, but the overarching themes remain the same.
—Yascha Mounk, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
In recent days, the Globe contacted Lynn, Ray Bourque, and Drew Bledsoe, all of whom played elsewhere after here, and all remembered first and foremost for their days wearing local colors.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Even the Puritanism often cited as a shaping force was more local color than foundational beam: few thinkers had more influence in the colonies than the Londoner John Wilkes, who was as notorious as a libertine as he was known as an enemy of privilege.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1829, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near local color
Cite this Entry
“Local color.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/local%20color. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
local color
noun
: the presentation in a story or play of the peculiarities of a particular place and the people who live there
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