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

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

The sea foam used in the ‘S’ logo is the primary color in the sweaters, which are set to be worn throughout the 2022-23 season beginning in November.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 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

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