lilac
Americannoun
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lilacs
plural
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any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Syringa, of the olive family, as S. vulgaris, having large clusters of fragrant purple or white flowers: the state flower of New Hampshire.
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pale reddish purple.
adjective
noun
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Also called: syringa. any of various Eurasian oleaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Syringa, esp S. vulgaris ( common lilac ) which has large sprays of purple or white fragrant flowers
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another name for goat's-rue
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a light or moderate purple colour, sometimes with a bluish or reddish tinge
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( as adjective )
a lilac carpet
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lilac
First recorded in 1615–25; from obsolete French, from Spanish, from Arabic līlak, from Persian līlak, assimilated variant of nīlak “bluish,” equivalent to nīl “blue, indigo” (from Sanskrit nīla ) + -ak a suffix indicating relationship or origin
Vocabulary lists containing lilac
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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Purple
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
New piercing hubs now rolling out feature Claire’s new hero shade of lilac; bigger, comfier chairs than the ones of my youth; and an Inspiration Bar to help customers design their “ear stacks.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Infiniti oozed glamour in a lilac sleeveless Louis Vuitton dress with a fitted bodice and a cascade of ruffles tumbling from her hip to the floor, creating a long train.
From Barron's ● Mar. 15, 2026
"Back in 1998, we had this outfit with tartan trews, a pinky lilac shirt, and these tartan waistcoats, which we were so proud of," Kennedy remembers.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025
Stephanie steps forward, cheesin’ in her lilac dress covered in pearls and soft ruffles.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
At Chiswick, staff were watering drooping camellias and lilacs, shrubs that normally thrive in sun.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
But at the same time, lilacs are blooming and birds are flapping around in the trees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024
The 4-acre property, a restoration project honoring the work of famed lilac developer Hulda Klager, is chock-full of lilacs, some of which date to the late 19th century.
From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2024
She described her childhood within the island's forested expanse, making dirt-pies and chasing garter snakes next to "fragrant purple lilacs, sour grapes in vines strangling the trunks of tart green apple trees".
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2023
Apple blossoms come with the lilacs, and the bees visit around among the apple trees.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
