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lilac

American  
[lahy-luhk, -lahk, -lak] / ˈlaɪ lək, -lɑk, -læk /

noun

  1. any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Syringa, of the olive family, as S. vulgaris, having large clusters of fragrant purple or white flowers: the state flower of New Hampshire.

  2. pale reddish purple.

adjective

  1. having the color lilac.

lilac British  
/ ˈlaɪlək /

noun

  1. Also called: syringa.  any of various Eurasian oleaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Syringa, esp S. vulgaris ( common lilac ) which has large sprays of purple or white fragrant flowers

  2. another name for goat's-rue

    1. a light or moderate purple colour, sometimes with a bluish or reddish tinge

    2. ( as adjective )

      a lilac carpet
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lilac

First recorded in 1615–25; from obsolete French, from Spanish, from Arabic līlak, from Persian līlak, assimilated variant of nīlak “bluish,” equivalent to nīl “blue, indigo” (from Sanskrit nīla ) + -ak a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Vocabulary lists containing lilac

Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color

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Purple

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scattered orange California poppies, California Lilac with bright blue blooms, and hummingbird sage with dark rose-lilac-colored flowers spontaneously tell us what we already know: Spring has arrived.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

He featured in a much-derided intra-squad affair at Lilac Hill in Perth before the series started, bowling for both England and the Lions side.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks have joined the Lions game against a Cricket Australia XI at Lilac Hill and will bat on Sunday.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

The problem is Lilac Hill is so different from Optus Stadium it might as well be on a different planet.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

“The other was in juvenile fiction. Nancy Drew: The Mystery at Lilac Inn.'”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.