violet

noun

vi·​o·​let ˈvī-(ə-)lət 

1

a

: any of a genus (Viola of the family Violaceae, the violet family) of chiefly herbs with alternate stipulate leaves and showy flowers in spring and often cleistogamous flowers in summer

especially : one with smaller usually solid-colored flowers as distinguished from the usually larger-flowered violas and pansies

b

: any of several plants of genera other than that of the violet compare dogtooth violet

2

: any of a group of colors of reddish-blue hue, low lightness, and medium saturation

Illustration of violet

• violet 1a

Examples of violet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Welcoming model Amelia Gray as a guest judge, Klum posed for portraits with the 24-year-old, who paired a cropped blue-violet turtleneck with a matching low-slung slit skirt. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026

When to Skip Mowing in May If your backyard looks more like a tapestry lawn—patches of violet, yellow, and white mini blossoms—than an uninterrupted blanket of green that resembles a golf course, then No Mow May is for you. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026

Pair warm pinks like coral, peach, and salmon with a mix of red, yellow, and orange flowers, and use bold cool magenta and fuchsia to complement violet, purple, and blue blooms. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026

The gadget works by utilizing a blue-violet light to attract insects, which are then zapped by a 4200-volt electric grid on contact. —Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, from viole "the violet flower" (going back to Latin viola "any of various spring flowers, as Viola odorata," derivative of a base vi- of Mediterranean substratal origin, as also Greek íon "the color violet") + -et -et entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing violet

• African violet
• bird's-foot violet
• crystal violet
• dogtooth violet
• gentian violet
• shrinking violet

Rhymes for violet

• inviolate
• ultraviolet

Kids Definition

violet

noun

vi·​o·​let ˈvī-ə-lət 

1

a

: any of a genus of mostly herbs that often produce showy fragrant flowers in the spring and small closed self-pollinated flowers without petals in the summer

b

: any of several plants of other genera compare dogtooth violet

2

: a reddish blue