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

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

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

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

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

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2021

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 C. R. (Chandler Robbins) Clifford