palette

noun

pal·​ette ˈpa-lət 

1

: a thin oval or rectangular board or tablet that a painter holds and mixes pigments on

2

a

: the set of colors put on the palette

b(1)

: a particular range, quality, or use of color

The designer's palette consisted mostly of earth tones.

(2)

: a comparable range, quality, or use of available elements

a rich palette of tones and timbres

a palette of flavors

a palette of vegetables

Examples of palette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beautifully photographed by Greig Fraser, the color palette is warm and colorful, not cold and sterile; Daniel Pemberton’s percussive score is curious, bright and emotionally leading. —Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026

Interiors skew minimal and elemental (raw wood, concrete, metal) and spotlight a muted palette of sand and dusty olive green; shades that pull from the sunbaked landscape dotted with palms and agaves. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026

In opposition, Doodles AI was based on designs, color palettes and character designs developed in-house over five years, and the company has stressed no publicly available datasets or images from other artists were incorporated. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026

Aside from the fun application format, Rom&nd also pays special attention to which shades suit your season’s color palette best; on its website, each shade is paired with a complementary season. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, diminutive of pale spade, from Latin pala; probably akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing palette

• palette knife

Rhymes for palette

• alate
• ballot
• fallot
• mallet
• palate
• pallet
• shallot

Kids Definition

palette

noun

pal·​ette ˈpal-ət 

1

: a thin usually oval board or tablet with a hole for the thumb at one end used by a painter to lay and mix pigments on

2

: the colors put on the palette