ENGLISH
REFERENCE

palette

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpæɫət// UK //pˈælət// pal·ette Archaic

n. the board an artist uses to mix paints, or the specific set of colors used in a design. In digital work, it refers to the range of colors available in a program.

n. a thin board or slab on which an artist lays and mixes colors; by extension, the range of colors used by a particular artist or in a specific work. In computing, refers to the finite set of colors available for a digital image or display system.


SIMPLE

The designer chose a warm palette of oranges and browns for the website.

CONTEXTUAL

Before starting the mural, the artist spent hours mixing custom shades on her wooden palette to ensure the colors were perfect.

COMPLEX

The film's visual impact relies on a restricted color palette of desaturated blues and greys, which effectively mirrors the protagonist's growing sense of isolation and despair.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French palette. Doublet of pallet.

Usage

Often used metaphorically to describe a range of options or styles beyond just visual color.

Pitfall

the chef has a sensitive palettethe chef has a sensitive palateLearners confuse 'palette' (colors/mixing board) with 'palate' (the roof of the mouth or the sense of taste).

© 2026 English Reference