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

The earthier materials balance the cooler-toned industrial materials, making an otherwise clinical palette feel cozy, not stark. —Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2025

Rehmeier’s regular cinematographer Jean-Philippe Bernier brings an appropriate warmth to the film’s visual palette, generating a dreamlike tone to the imagery befitting the protagonists’ self-image. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025

That suit, with its flowing lines and subtle color palette, also marked a pivot away from the louder, bigger, bolder ethos of the ‘80s and toward a quieter definition of sophistication. —Belinda Luscombe, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

The show’s palette trends toward bottle-green woods, gauzy golden light, dusky midnight-blue nighttime scenes, and grimly gray interiors, and within those tableaus, Task’s male characters are gorgeously aggrieved, emotion pouring off of them like coffee from a Wawa urn. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

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