Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistorical MeaningsSymbolic AssociationsUnique and ExoticBiological Considerations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Historical Meanings
Symbolic Associations
Unique and Exotic
Biological Considerations
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Verywell / Cindy Chung
The color purple is associated with a variety of meanings, including wisdom, creativity, royalty, power, ambition, and luxury. It can also represent magic, extravagance, peace, pride, independence, and wealth. As with other colors, purple is the subject ofcolor psychology, which suggests that colors can have a powerful impact on moods and even behaviors.
Each color is thought to have its own effect, but the feeling that each color produces can vary based on experience and culture. Like other colors, purple can lead to differing feelings, emotions, and associations. Learning the color purple meaning and effects can help you understand why you may feel the way you do when you see it.
Press Play to Learn More About How Colors Affect the Mind and Body
If you’re wondering what colors make purple, purple is a combination of the primary colors blue and red.
Purple Meaning in History
The feelings that the color purple evokes are often due tocultural associations. Because purple is so strongly associated with royalty, people often perceive it as being a very regal color. These associations with royalty, as well as wealth, stem from the fact that the purple dye used in ancient times was very rare and extremely expensive.
The color purple became associated with wealth and royalty because, oftentimes, the rich were the only individuals who could afford clothing and other household items that were dyed purple.
Within theLGBTQ+ community, the purple on thepride flagrepresents non-binary gender identities. In the bisexual flag, the red and blue overlap to form purple, representing bisexuality.
Purple Meanings and Associations
Some of the symbolic meanings and associations with the color purple include:
People often describe this color as mysterious, spiritual, and imaginative.
Wisdom and Spirituality
Purple also represents wisdom and spirituality.Its rare and mysterious nature perhaps causes it to seem connected to the unknown, supernatural, and divine.
Different shades of purple have different spiritual meanings. For instance, light purples are associated with light-hearted, romantic energies, while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. In some parts of Europe, purple is associated withdeath and mourning.
Courage and Bravery
Personality
You might alsoenjoy thinking about spiritual issuesand the meaning of life. Of course, it might just mean that it is your favorite color due to your unique, individual associations and experiences.
Shades of PurpleAmethystLavenderLilacMulberryOrchidPlumPucePomegranateRoyal purpleVioletWine
Shades of Purple
AmethystLavenderLilacMulberryOrchidPlumPucePomegranateRoyal purpleVioletWine
How Do We Perceive Color?
Purple Is Unique and Exotic
Since purple does not often occur in nature, it can sometimes appear exotic or artificial. For this reason, it tends to be quite a polarizing color. People tend to either really love purple or really hate it.
Visually, purple is one of the most difficult colors to discriminate. It also has the strongest electromagnetic wavelength, being just a few wavelengths up from x-rays and gamma rays.For this reason, it is often used invisual illusionssuch as the lilac chaser illusion.
In writing, the phrase “purple prose” is sometimes used to describe writing that is extremely imaginative or even prone to exaggeration, hyperbole, or outright lies.
The Color Purple Meaning and Biology
When discussing color meaning, it’s also important to recognize the role that various biological factors play in perceiving it. Several factors affect how the brain perceives the color purple, such as vision, light, and a person’s interpretation of what the color represents.
Additional factors that can contribute to how a person perceives color are its hue, its level of saturation or purity, and how bright or dull it is. All these play into the frequency, wavelength, and energy associated with the color, which also changes how the eye and, subsequently,the brainperceive it.
That means that everyone’sperception and interpretationof the color purple can be different.
Keep in Mind
Responses to the color purple can vary considerably from one person to the next. However, many feel that this color seems royal yet mysterious.
Notice how purple is used in the image that accompanies this article. Consider how the color purple makes you feel. Do you associate purple with certain qualities or situations? Recognizing howyouinterpret purple’s meaning helps you understand why you may respond to it in a certain way.
Understanding How We See Color
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kurt S, Osueke KK.The effects of color on the moods of college students.SAGE Open. 2014;4(1):215824401452542. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423University of Chicago Library.Tyrian purple.Schultz C.In ancient Rome, purple dye was made from snails.Smithsonian Magazine.The Royal Household.50 facts about the Queen’s coronation.Canva.Color meaning and symbolism: How to use the power of color.London Image Institute.Why is it important to understand color psychology?Britannica.Purple Heart: United States military decoration.Heller E.Psychologie de la couleur: effets et symboliques.NASA.Visible light.Britannica.Colour.
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kurt S, Osueke KK.The effects of color on the moods of college students.SAGE Open. 2014;4(1):215824401452542. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423University of Chicago Library.Tyrian purple.Schultz C.In ancient Rome, purple dye was made from snails.Smithsonian Magazine.The Royal Household.50 facts about the Queen’s coronation.Canva.Color meaning and symbolism: How to use the power of color.London Image Institute.Why is it important to understand color psychology?Britannica.Purple Heart: United States military decoration.Heller E.Psychologie de la couleur: effets et symboliques.NASA.Visible light.Britannica.Colour.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kurt S, Osueke KK.The effects of color on the moods of college students.SAGE Open. 2014;4(1):215824401452542. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423University of Chicago Library.Tyrian purple.Schultz C.In ancient Rome, purple dye was made from snails.Smithsonian Magazine.The Royal Household.50 facts about the Queen’s coronation.Canva.Color meaning and symbolism: How to use the power of color.London Image Institute.Why is it important to understand color psychology?Britannica.Purple Heart: United States military decoration.Heller E.Psychologie de la couleur: effets et symboliques.NASA.Visible light.Britannica.Colour.
Kurt S, Osueke KK.The effects of color on the moods of college students.SAGE Open. 2014;4(1):215824401452542. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423
University of Chicago Library.Tyrian purple.
Schultz C.In ancient Rome, purple dye was made from snails.Smithsonian Magazine.
The Royal Household.50 facts about the Queen’s coronation.
Canva.Color meaning and symbolism: How to use the power of color.
London Image Institute.Why is it important to understand color psychology?
Britannica.Purple Heart: United States military decoration.
Heller E.Psychologie de la couleur: effets et symboliques.
NASA.Visible light.
Britannica.Colour.
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