Viridian
noun / adjective /vɪˈrɪd.i.ən/ — A blue-green pigment; a cool, clear green
Definition
A cool, blue-tinted green pigment — deeper and cooler than celadon, the precise green of deep water, aged copper, or old glass bottles held up to light.
Beyond the definition
The green that belongs to depth rather than surface. Viridian is the green of the sea from underneath, not from above.
Origin & history
From Latin 'viridis' (green) — coined as a colour name in the 19th century for a stable, lightfast green pigment (hydrated chromium oxide) used by the Impressionists.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She mixed viridian into the shadow — just enough to suggest the underwater quality of afternoon light.
The old glass had gone viridian with age — the bottles held light in them like something alive.
Viridian is what painters reach for when they want a green that doesn't lie.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Viridian” when the meaning fits your context: A cool, blue-tinted green pigment — deeper and cooler than celadon, the precise green of deep water, aged copper, or old glass bottles held up to light.
Synonyms
blue-green, teal-green, emerald, verdigris
Related words
- verdigris
- celadon
- viridescent
- colour-light
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Atmospheric Quality of Blended Color
An artist's palette is covered in swirling, multi-coloured pigments, the colours blending into new, subtle shades as the brush moves.
Viridian is a cool, blue-tinted green pigment. On the palette, the movement of cool greens into and out of blue shades demonstrates the complexity of this colour; it acts as a visual analogy for how viridian behaves—deep, cool, and atmospheric—when it is mixed into a picture.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Viridian" mean?
Viridian is noun / adjective meaning: A blue-green pigment; a cool, clear green. A cool, blue-tinted green pigment — deeper and cooler than celadon, the precise green of deep water, aged copper, or old glass bottles held up to light.
Where does the word "Viridian" come from?
From Latin 'viridis' (green) — coined as a colour name in the 19th century for a stable, lightfast green pigment (hydrated chromium oxide) used by the Impressionists.