Brunette vs. Brown: What's the Difference?
By Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 22, 2024
Brunette refers to a person with brown hair, typically used for women, while brown describes the color itself, applicable to various objects and contexts beyond hair color.
Key Differences
Brunette specifically describes a person, usually a woman, with brown hair. It is often used to refer to a hair color in a more elegant or descriptive manner. For example, saying "She is a brunette" immediately conveys a specific image of someone with brown hair. Brown, on the other hand, is a general color term that applies to many things beyond hair, including eyes, furniture, and clothing. It is not specific to people and is used to describe the color of various objects and materials. For instance, "The table is brown" describes the color of an object without implying anything about a person.
In terms of usage, brunette is a more specialized term, often associated with beauty and fashion contexts. People commonly use it to describe hair color in a way that adds a bit of sophistication or style. "Brunette" carries a connotation of elegance and is frequently used in descriptions of physical appearance. Whereas brown is more versatile and commonly used in everyday language to describe a wide range of things. It is a straightforward term without any special connotations. For example, "She has brown hair" is a simple, direct statement about hair color.
Brunette is gendered, typically referring to women, while brown is entirely neutral, applying to anyone or anything. The gender-specific nature of brunette means it is less universally applicable compared to brown, which can describe anything from hair to eyes to clothing.
While brunette is always a noun or adjective describing a person, brown can be used more broadly as an adjective for many objects or as a noun in certain contexts, such as referring to a shade of color. The versatility of brown makes it more common in everyday language.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Person with brown hair
General color
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Usage Context
Describes hair color
Describes color of various objects
Gender Connotation
Typically used for women
Gender-neutral
Part of Speech
Noun/Adjective
Adjective/Noun
Scope
Specific to hair color
Broad application
Brunette and Brown Definitions
Brunette
A person, especially a woman, with brown hair.
She is a stunning brunette with long, wavy hair.
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Brown
Can refer to hair, eyes, and other physical features.
He has brown eyes and a friendly smile.
Brunette
Noun or adjective related to hair color.
He prefers brunette over blonde when choosing hair dye.
Brown
Used in various contexts beyond appearance.
The coffee table is made of brown wood.
Brunette
Descriptive term for women with brown hair.
The actress is known for her signature brunette locks.
Brown
Neutral term without special connotations.
The leaves turned brown in the autumn.
Brunette
Conveys elegance and style.
The stylist recommended a brunette shade to complement her skin tone.
Brown
Any of a group of colors between red and yellow in hue that are medium to low in lightness and low to moderate in saturation.
Brunette
Having brown hair.
Brown
Of the color brown.
Brunette
A girl or woman with brown hair.
Brown
Having a brownish or dark skin color.
Brunette
(of hair, eyes, skin, etc.) Of a dark color or tone.
Brown
Often Offensive Of or being a person of nonwhite origin.
Brunette
(of a person) Having brown or black hair and, often, dark eyes and darkish or olive skin.
Brown
Deeply suntanned.
Brunette
A person, especially female, with brown or black hair and, often, dark eyes and darkish or olive skin.
Brown
To make or become brown.
Brunette
A person with dark (brown) hair
Brown
To cook until brown.
Brunette
Marked by dark or relatively dark pigmentation of hair or skin or eyes;
A brunette beauty
Brown
A colour like that of chocolate or coffee.
The browns and greens in this painting give it a nice woodsy feel.
Brunette
Often used in beauty and fashion contexts.
The magazine featured a brunette model on its cover.
Brown
One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 4 points.
Brown
(uncountable) Black tar heroin.
Brown
A copper coin.
Brown
A brown horse or other animal.
Brown
A person of Latino, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent; a brown-skinned person; someone of mulatto or biracial appearance.
Brown
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae (formerly the family Satyridae).
Brown
(entomology) Any of certain species of nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae, such as those of the genera Heteronympha and Melanitis.
Brown
(informal) A brown trout (Salmo trutta).
Brown
A mass of birds or animals that may be indiscriminately fired at.
Brown
Having a brown colour.
Brown
(obsolete) Gloomy.
Brown
(sometimes capitalized) Of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin.
Brown
(US) Latino
Brown
(of Asians) South Asian
Brown
(of East Asians) Southeast Asian
Brown
(intransitive) To become brown.
Fry the onions until they brown.
Brown
To cook something until it becomes brown.
Brown
To tan.
Light-skinned people tend to brown when exposed to the sun.
Brown
(transitive) To make brown or dusky.
Brown
(transitive) To give a bright brown colour to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coating of oxide on their surface.
Brown
To turn progressively more Hispanic or Latino, in the context of the population of a geographic region.
The browning of America
Brown
Of a dark color, of various shades between black and red or yellow.
Cheeks brown as the oak leaves.
Brown
A dark color inclining to red or yellow, resulting from the mixture of red and black, or of red, black, and yellow; a tawny, dusky hue.
Brown
To make brown or dusky.
A trembling twilight o'er welkin moves,Browns the dim void and darkens deep the groves.
Brown
To make brown by scorching slightly; as, to brown meat or flour.
Brown
To give a bright brown color to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coat of oxide on their surface.
Brown
To become brown.
Brown
An orange of low brightness and saturation
Brown
Scottish botanist who first observed the movement of small particles in fluids now known a Brownian motion (1773-1858)
Brown
Abolitionist who was hanged after leading an unsuccessful raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (1800-1858)
Brown
A university in Rhode Island
Brown
Fry in a pan until it changes color;
Brown the meat in the pan
Brown
Of a color similar to that of wood or earth
Brown
A dark color blending red, yellow, and blue.
She wore a brown dress to the party.
Brown
Describes the color of objects and materials.
The leather couch is a rich brown color.
FAQs
What does brunette mean?
Brunette refers to a person, typically a woman, with brown hair.
Is brunette a color?
No, brunette describes a person with brown hair, not the color itself.
What part of speech is brunette?
It can be a noun or an adjective.
Is brunette only used for women?
Mostly, but it can sometimes be used for men, though less commonly.
Can brown describe hair color?
Yes, brown can describe hair color as well as many other objects and features.
Is brunette gender-specific?
Yes, it is typically used to describe women.
What contexts use brunette?
Mainly in beauty, fashion, and descriptions of people.
Are brunette and brown interchangeable?
Not exactly; brunette is specific to people with brown hair, while brown is a general color term.
What part of speech is brown?
It can be an adjective or a noun.
Is brown gender-specific?
No, brown is a gender-neutral term.
Can brunette be used for eyes?
No, brunette specifically refers to hair color.
Can brown be used for eyes?
Yes, brown can describe the color of eyes.
Does brunette have any special connotations?
Yes, it often conveys elegance or style.
Can brown be used in formal writing?
Yes, it is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
How do you pronounce brunette?
Pronounced as "broo-NET."
What contexts use brown?
Brown is used broadly in everyday language to describe many objects and features.
Does brown have any special connotations?
No, brown is a straightforward descriptive term.
Can brunette be used in formal writing?
Yes, it can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Is brunette a common term?
It is commonly used but more specialized compared to brown.
Is brown a common term?
Yes, brown is a very common and versatile term.
About Author
Written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
