Meaning & use

purple

adjective·Everyday

Of a color between red and blue, produced by mixing those two colors.

See it in a sentence

The sunset painted the sky in streaks of purple and orange.

She chose a deep purple dress for the evening reception.

A note on using this word

Purple is also used figuratively in "purple prose," meaning writing that is overly elaborate or ornate.

Words with a similar meaning

violetlilacmauve

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

The color between red and blue.

Purple was traditionally associated with royalty because the dye was so expensive to produce.

Make it your own

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