- any of various temperate perennial herbaceous plants of the violaceous genus Viola, such as V. odorata (sweet (or garden) violet), typically having mauve or bluish flowers with irregular showy petals
- any other plant of the genus Viola, such as the wild pansy
- any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as the African violet
- any of a group of colours that vary in saturation but have the same purplish-blue hue. They lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to blue; approximate wavelength range 445–390 nanometres
- (as adjective): a violet dress
- a dye or pigment of or producing these colours
- violet clothing: dressed in violet
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
vi•o•let /ˈvaɪəlɪt/USA pronunciation
n.
adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Plant Biology[countable] a low, stemless or leafy-stemmed plant having purple, blue, yellow, white, or differently colored flowers, as an African violet.
- Physics[uncountable] a reddish blue color.
adj.
- of the color violet;
reddish blue.
vi•o•la1 /viˈoʊlə/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -las.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Music and Dancea musical instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than the violin.
vi•o•let
(vī′ə lit),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
Vi•o•let (vī′ə lit),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Plant Biologyany chiefly low, stemless or leafy-stemmed plant of the genus Viola, having purple, blue, yellow, white, or variegated flowers. Cf. violet family.
- Plant Biologyany such plant except the pansy and the viola.
- Plant Biologythe flower of any native, wild species of violet, as distinguished from the pansy: the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
- Plant Biologyany of various similar plants of other genera.
- Physicsreddish-blue, a color at the opposite end of the visible spectrum from red, an effect of light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nm.
adj.
- of the color violet;
reddish-blue:violet hats.
- Latin viola violet) + -ete -et
- Old French violete, equivalent. to viole (
- Middle English 1300–50
Vi•o•let (vī′ə lit),USA pronunciation n.
- a female given name.
vi•o•la1
(vē ō′lə),USA pronunciation n.
vi•o•la2 (vī′ə lə, vī ō′-, vē-),USA pronunciation n.
Vi•o•la (vī′ə lə, vē′-; vī ō′lə, vē-),USA pronunciation n.
- Music and Dancea four-stringed musical instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than the violin;
a tenor or alto violin. - Music and Dancea labial organ stop of eight-foot or four-foot pitch, giving tones of a penetrating stringlike quality.
- Old Provencal viola; see viol
- Italian viola
- 1715–25
vi•o•la2 (vī′ə lə, vī ō′-, vē-),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant Biologyany plant of the genus Viola, esp. a cultivated variety. Cf. pansy (def. 1), violet (defs. 1, 2).
- Plant Biologya pansy, V. cornuta, cultivated as a garden plant.
- Latin: violet
- late Middle English: violet 1400–50
Vi•o•la (vī′ə lə, vē′-; vī ō′lə, vē-),USA pronunciation n.
- a female given name.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
violet /ˈvaɪəlɪt/ n
'pale violet' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):