primary color

American  

noun

• primary colors
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• primary colors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of primary color

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

primary color

It’s a subtractive primary color, which means it never really gets its due.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 2, 2022

When people think of the color red, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, they picture a primary color that can be off-putting and overwhelming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2022

Trying to describe the specific quality of love you experience is like trying to describe a primary color that doesn’t exist.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2022

While the opening credits emphasize a primary color palette, the color red is featured in particular.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2021

Try each primary color; which is most distinct to your mind’s eye?

From Power of Mental Imagery Being the Fifth of a Series of Twelve Volumes on the Applications of Psychology to the Problems of Personal and Business Efficiency by Warren Hilton