chromatic
/krəˈmæt.ɪk/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Chromatic means relating to colour or using many colours. In music, it means using notes outside a simple scale.
- The artist used chromatic shades in the painting.
- Chromatic music sounds richer and less simple.
- We chose a chromatic design for the poster.
Adinary Nuance
Chromatic is more precise than colourful or colorful when you want a technical or artistic feel. It often sounds formal, especially in writing about art, design, or music. Use colourful for everyday speech; use chromatic when the colour pattern or musical note pattern matters.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thuộc màu sắc
- Spanish
- cromático
- Chinese
- 色彩的
- Japanese
- クロマチック
- Korean
- 색채의
Etymology
Chromatic comes from Greek chroma, meaning “colour.” English began using it in the 16th century for colour, and later in music.
Common phrases
chromatic scalechromatic colourschromatic effectchromatic music
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is chromatic used more in art or music?
- It is used in both, but music is a very common technical use.
- Is chromatic a common everyday word?
- No, it is more common in formal, artistic, or academic writing.
- What is the difference between chromatic and colourful?
- Colourful is more everyday. Chromatic sounds more technical and specific.