: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
The wine displays aromas of violets, blueberries, cedar, and baking spices.—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 Those smooth layers of violet, cedarwood, and musk come through to give it a sophisticated finish that keeps it from smelling like a high school girl who just bought her first fragrance (though, there’s an audience for that girl here too!).—Essence, 7 July 2025 The design has undergone several revisions since, but the most common version is composed of six stripes, with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.—Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 21 June 2025 Lopez's longtime makeup artist Scott Barnes was behind the bold shadow, brushing a suite of plum and rich violet shades across her lids.—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for violet
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
: 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
Share