Indigo vs. Violet — What's the Difference?

A deep blue color derived from the Indigofera plant.

A color with a shade that leans towards purple, close to blue.

One of the colors of the visible spectrum, positioned between blue and violet.

Any of various low-growing herbs of the genus Viola, having short-spurred, irregular flowers that are characteristically purplish-blue but sometimes yellow or white.

Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin for Indian as the dye was originally exported to Europe from India.

A small flower with a purple-blue color.

A dye used historically for fabric coloring.

A hue representing the highest frequency of visible light before ultraviolet.

A shade often associated with intuition and the third eye in chakras.

Any of several similar plants, such as an African violet.

A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants belonging to very different genera and orders, such as, the woad, Isatis tinctoria (family Cruciferae), Indigofera suffroticosa, Indigofera tinctoria (family Leguminosae), Indigofera Anil, Nereum tinctorium, Polygonum tinctorium Ait. (family Polygonaceae), etc.; called also natural indigo. It is a dark blue earthy substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside indican.

A color symbolizing royalty, luxury, and power.

A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically

Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycæna, or Rusticus, and allied genera.

Any of various shrubs or herbs of the genus Indigofera in the pea family, having pinnately compound leaves and usually red or purple flowers in axillary racemes.

A shade that can evoke feelings of creativity and imagination.

A dark blue crystalline compound, C16H10N2O2, that is obtained from these plants or produced synthetically and is widely used as a textile dye. Also called indigotin.

The hue at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 380 to 420 nanometers; any of a group of colors, reddish-blue in hue, that may vary in lightness and saturation.

Any of several related plants, especially those of the genera Amorpha and Baptisia.

A plant or flower of the genus Viola, especially the fragrant Viola odorata; (inexact) similar-looking plants and flowers.

The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between blue and violet, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 420 to 450 nanometers; a dark blue to grayish purple blue.

(figurative) A person thought to resemble V. odorata, especially in its beauty and delicacy.

A kind of deep blue, one of the seven prismatic colors.

A bluish-purple colour resembling that of most V. odorata.

Having the color of, pertaining to, or derived from, indigo.

Clothes and (ecclesiastical) vestments of such a colour.

Deciduous subshrub of southeastern Asia having pinnate leaves and clusters of red or purple flowers; a source of indigo dye

(perfumes) The characteristic scent of V. odorata.

A color that often represents depth and mystery.

Having a bluish-purple colour.

A purplish-blue colour

Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor).

An indigo-colored dye obtained from certain plants (the indigo plant or woad), or a similar synthetic dye.

The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum.

An indigo plant, such as from species in genera Indigofera, Amorpha (false indigo), Baptisia (wild indigo), and Psorothamnus and Dalea (indigo bush).

In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color.

Having a deep purplish-blue colour

Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined.

A blue-violet color

A variable color that lies beyond blue in the spectrum

Of a color midway between red and blue

Syn of onion.

Any of numerous low-growing small-flowered violas