LONDON — The British work and pensions secretary, Amber Rudd, apologized on Thursday after describing a Labour Party member of Parliament in a radio interview as a “colored woman,” adding another chapter to claims of racism that have recently rocked lawmakers.

The comment from Ms. Rudd, who is white, quickly faced a chorus of criticism, including from the Labour member of Parliament, Diane Abbott, who is black. Ms. Abbott, a prominent critic of Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, said the term was “an outdated, offensive and revealing choice of words.”

Ms. Rudd, a Conservative, said on Twitter that she was “mortified at my clumsy language and sorry to @HackneyAbbott.”

In the radio interview with the BBC, Ms. Rudd was responding to a question about abuse on Twitter being aimed overwhelmingly at women.