pigmentocracy

P3I1G2M3E1N1T1O1C3R1A1C3Y4

noun

Government by or social hierarchy of those with a certain skin tone, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

OriginAncient Greek κρᾰ́τος (krắtos) ← Proto-Indo-European *kret- ← English pigment →
Scrabble 25
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Meanings

nounpigmentocracy (countable and uncountable, plural pigmentocracies)

plural pigmentocracies

  1. countableuncountableGovernment by or social hierarchy of those with a certain skin tone, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

    Black America used to be, and perhaps still is, a pigmentocracy, which means that the social hierarchy is based largely on colorism.

    2011, Don Lemon, Transparent, Las Vegas: Farrah Gray, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Englishpigment
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kret-
  3. Ancient Greekκρᾰ́τος (krắtos)
  4. Englishpigmentocracy

From pigment + -o- + -cracy.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pigmentocracy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pigmentocracy

MLA

“pigmentocracy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pigmentocracy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pigmentocracy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pigmentocracy.

Source: pigmentocracy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.