Meaning of the Colours Purple and Violet
Purple and violet are names of colours that are often used interchangeably. Although the two colours appear similar, violet is not quite as intense as purple. Violet also appears in the visible spectrum, or rainbow, whereas purple is just a mixture of red and blue.
Purple is most associated with royalty and spirituality. The positivity surrounding purple relates to luxury, wealth, wisdom, imagination, sophistication, inspiration and nobility. However, on the negative side it relates to cruelty, madness, excess and exaggeration.
From a marketing perspective, this is a difficult colour to use as people tend to love or hate it. It is also a colour that is more popular with some age groups than others.
Variations of the Colours Purple and Violet
- Lavender: This is a light purple colour, with a bluish hue. It is said to attract beautiful things, as well as having a fragile, sensitive and vulnerable side to it.
- Lilac: With its pinkish hue, this pale violet colour represents immaturity, superficiality and youthfulness. It can also show an extroverted and enthusiastic nature, which inspires glamour, romance and vanity.
- Mauve: Relates to justice, decision making and making the right choices. From a negative perspective, it can also show commonness.
- Amethyst: This colour has mystical properties, which is also associated with intuition, and protecting the vulnerable.
- Plum: An old fashioned reddish purple that relates to honour and family tradition, as well as prudishness and narrow mindedness.
- Deep Purple: A dark purple colour that is associated with spirituality, power arrogance and ruthlessness.
Cultural Links
Below are some of the meanings of the colour purple associated with specific cultures.
- China: Represents spiritual awareness, physical and mental healing, strength and abundance.
- Japan: Represents ceremony, enlightenment and arrogance.
- Thailand: Worn by widows mourning their husband's death.
- Latin America: Indicates death.