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

Dorji’s use of first-time or inexperienced actors results in a mixed bag of performances, but not to any disruptive degree: The primary color in his mosaic is a casual, even proud naivete.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2024

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

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 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

As a primary color, it is much more rarely seen in nature than either red or yellow.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 2, August, 1864 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various