Uncolored

Uncolored is an adjective that denotes the absence of color or pigment. It can describe objects, materials, or substances that have not been dyed, stained, or otherwise tinted, either by nature or by processing. In everyday use, uncolored often implies a natural or neutral state, such as undyed fabrics, unbleached paper, or a food product without added colorings.

In scientific and technical contexts, uncolored or colorless is used to describe the property of a substance that does not produce color in visible light. Colorless substances may still appear tinted under certain conditions or at certain concentrations; conversely, some uncolored materials can appear white or translucent due to scattering rather than pigment. For example, water is often described as colorless, while glass can be clear and uncolored when grown free of impurities.

Applications and examples include undyed textiles and natural fibers (such as cotton, wool, and silk) labeled as uncolored; foods and beverages with no artificial colorants; papers and boards that are uncolored; and chemical formulations that are intentionally uncolored as starting materials.

Limitations: color in a material can arise from impurities, additives, or intrinsic properties, so “uncolored” does not always guarantee the absence of any color-related property. The term is context-dependent and may be replaced by more precise terms such as undyed, colorless, or unpigmented depending on the domain.

See also: color, colorless, dye, pigment, unpigmented, undyed.