mulatto
mulatto Lexical Profile
mulatto Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
(Dated, often offensive) Relating to or having mixed white and Black ancestry.
"Historical documents from the colonial era frequently used the adjective to describe mixed-race populations."
Having a light brown color.
"The artist mixed the paints to create a soft, mulatto shade for the background."
• noun
(Dated, often offensive) A person of mixed white and Black ancestry, typically with one white and one Black parent.
"The nineteenth-century census records categorized individuals into several distinct racial groups, including mulatto."
Word Nuance & Usage
This term is widely considered dated, derogatory, and highly offensive today due to its roots in colonial racial classification and etymological connection to mules; 'biracial' or 'mixed-race' are the preferred modern alternatives.
• Rhymes for mulatto
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese 'mulato' (of mixed breed), derived from 'mulo' (mule), reflecting the historical racist comparison of mixed-race individuals to the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.