English · Word Candidate

purple

/ˈpɜː.pl̩/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: purples · purpler · purplest · purpling

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A colour between red and blue; violet, though often closer to magenta.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

màu nằm giữa đỏ và xanh

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Arraying with reflected Purple and Gold / The Clouds that on his Weſtern Throne attend.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Any non-spectral colour on the line of purples on a colour chromaticity diagram or a colour wheel between violet and red.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

màu không nằm trong quang phổ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Of a purple hue.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

có màu tím

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

So this was my future home, I thought![…]Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Not predominantly red or blue, but having a mixture of Democrat and Republican support.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

không chi phối bởi đảng nào

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

AdjectiveRegister: US

Examples

purple state

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “purple” mean?

A colour between red and blue; violet, though often closer to magenta.

Is “purple” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.