White is a historical specification of skin color and a modern classification of race. Most often, it is applied to generally identify people of European origin, but the exact definition of "White" can vary depending on context and points of view. Beyond racialization, the word simply denotes any person with light skin, usually that which is colored carnation.
Description of populations as "White" in reference to their skin color is occasionally found in Greco-Roman ethnography and in other ancient or medieval sources, but these societies did not have any notion of a "White race" or a pan-European identity. The racialized understanding of "White race" or "White people" entered the major European languages in the late 17th century, when the concept of a "unified White people" achieved greater acceptance in Europe, particularly in the context of race-based slavery and social status in the world's European colonies. Scholarship on race distinguishes the modern concept from pre-modern descriptions, which focused on physical complexion rather than the idea of race. Prior to the modern era, no European peoples regarded themselves as "White" and instead defined their identity in terms of their religion, ancestry, ethnicity, or nationality.
