lilac

noun

li·​lac ˈlī-ˌläk  -ˌlak 

-lək

1

a

: a widely cultivated European shrub (Syringa vulgaris) of the olive family that has cordate ovate leaves and large panicles of fragrant pinkish-purple or white flowers

b

: a tree or shrub congeneric with the lilac

2

: a variable color averaging a moderate purple

Illustration of lilac

• lilac 1a

Examples of lilac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The actor held her red and lilac bouquet in his free hand. —Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025

For that occasion, FLOTUS donned a crepe off-the-shoulder column gown in sunflower from Carolina Herrera’s Wes Gordon, which was accented with a lilac silk belt with a covered buckle, and light lilac frosted pumps from Manolo Blahnik. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025

From summer to late fall, these white to pale lilac flowers with purple spots bloom surrounded by foliage that’s arranged like a feather. —Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025

The shade lineup spans 10 options, ranging from pale lilac to rosy pink to plummy burgundy, all inspired by NYC sunsets. —Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French (now lilas), from Arabic līlak, from Persian nīlak bluish, from nīl blue, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for lilac

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

lilac

noun

li·​lac ˈlī-lək  -ˌlak 

-ˌläk

1

: any of a genus of shrubs and trees related to the olive

especially : a European shrub widely grown for its showy clusters of fragrant pink, purple, or white flowers

2

: a medium purple