colorist
colorist Lexical Profile
colorist Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A cosmetologist or hairstylist who specializes in dyeing, highlighting, and chemically treating hair.
"She booked an appointment with a master colorist at the salon to transition her hair to a warm auburn shade."
American A professional in comic books, animation, or digital film post-production who applies color to line art or adjusts and grades the color palette of visual footage.
"The film's director worked closely with the digital colorist to give the flashback scenes a muted, nostalgic tone."
American A painter or visual artist noted for the skillful, expressive, or harmonious use of color in their work.
"Henri Matisse is celebrated by art historians as one of the greatest colorists of the twentieth century."
American A person who practices or holds prejudice based on skin tone, typically favoring lighter skin over darker skin within the same racial or ethnic group.
"The author's memoir candidly addresses the pain of encountering colorists within her own community."
• adjective
American Characterized by, exhibiting, or relating to prejudice or discrimination based on the relative lightness or darkness of a person's skin tone.
"The sociological study examined how colorist attitudes in media casting affect representation across the film industry."
American Relating to or characterized by the skillful or expressive use of color in visual art or music.
"The museum's new exhibition highlights the bold, colorist techniques of the Scottish Post-Impressionists."
Word Nuance & Usage
Spelled 'colourist' in British and Commonwealth English. In sociological contexts, it refers negatively to skin-tone prejudice, whereas in the arts, haircare, and media, it is a neutral or complimentary professional title.