primary color

American  

noun

1. Art. a color, as red, yellow, or blue, that in mixture yields other colors.

2. Optics. any of a set of monochromatic colors, as red, green, and blue, that are added to match or specify the chromaticity of a stimulus or sample.

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primary color Scientific  

1. Any of a group of colors from which all other colors can be made by mixing.

2. See more at additive subtractive See Note at color

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Etymology

Origin of primary color

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

But it’s not just the overabundance of a divisive primary color that makes the image so unnerving.

From Salon • May 17, 2024

In this very orange Orange Bowl — both teams have it as their primary color — it was the Tennessee hue that was superior.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2022

With the aid of food coloring, he completed the red and blue portions of a planned primary color triptych before museum officials caught on that something more than a stomach bug was afoot.

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2022

Current game analyst Orel Hershiser remains the team’s primary color commentator on SNLA’s broadcast package but will now only work home games.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2022

We start with yellow, a primary color; orange possesses yellow; orange likewise possesses red, the adjoining color; violet possesses red, and it likewise possesses blue.

From Color Value by Clifford, C. R. (Chandler Robbins)