olive

1 of 2

noun

ol·​ive ˈä-liv 

-ləv

1

a

: a Mediterranean evergreen tree (Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil

also : the fruit

b

: any of various shrubs and trees resembling the olive

2

: any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the olive tree that are yellowish green

3

: an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata

olive

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of the color olive or olive green

2

: approaching olive in color or complexion

Examples of olive in a Sentence

Noun

a sauce made with chopped olives

Does the suit come in olive?

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And some 5,000 miles away, at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in the UK, there’s yet another version — this one elongated and olive-shaped, with its threads of color more spaced apart. — Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

With a mix of ultra-rich hydrating oils—including coconut, olive, and soybean—plus quillaja saponaria bark extract to gently slough away dead skin cells, this formula works as an intensive treatment to help repair skin overnight. — Mary Honkus, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Take the paved footpath behind Zori past olive groves to reach the ACI Marina, its restaurants and the taxi boats that take you to Hvar Town and the notoriously hedonistic beach club, Carpe Diem, on the neighboring island of Marinkovac. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

It’s located in Istria, an area sculpted by rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves rather than coastline (Poreč and Rovinj, on the water, are each about a 30-minute drive). — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing olive

• olive branch
• olive drab
• olive green
• olive oil
• olive ridley
• olive tree
• Russian olive

Kids Definition

olive

noun

ol·​ive

ˈäl-iv, 

-əv

1

: a Mediterranean evergreen tree grown for its fruit

also : the edible fruit of the olive tree that is the source of an oil

2

: a yellowish green

olive adjective

Medical Definition

olive

noun

ol·​ive ˈäl-iv, -əv 

1

: an Old World evergreen tree (Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil

also : the fruit

2

: an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata that contains the inferior olive of the same side

called also olivary body