Each color is thought to have its own effect, but the feeling that each color produces can vary based on experience and culture. Like other colors, purple can lead to differing feelings, emotions, and associations. What does the color purple mean? How does the color purple make you feel? People often describe this color as mysterious, spiritual, and imaginative. Purple tends to occur rarely in nature, so it is viewed as rare and intriguing. So what are some of the most common associations people have with the color purple? The feelings that the color purple evokes are often due to cultural associations.
Meanings of Purple in History.
Because purple is so strongly associated with royalty, people often perceive it as being a very regal color. These associations with royalty, as well as wealth, stem from the fact that the purple dye used in ancient times was very rare and extremely expensive. The resources needed to create a dye in this color were much harder to come by (since purple is uncommon in nature) and much more costly. So only the elite could use purple dye. These associations with extravagance and aristocracy persist to this day. Around 1200 B.C.E., the city of Tyre (along the coast of ancient Phoenicia) began producing purple dye by crushing the shells of a small sea snail. The resulting color became known as Tyrian purple and was so well known it was mentioned in Homer’s “Iliad” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” Alexander the Great and the kings of Egypt also wore clothing colored with the famous Tyrian purple. This connection with royalty was not just restricted to ancient times. Purple was the color of choice for the Purple Robe of Estate worn by Queen Elizabeth II on her way back to Buckingham Palace following her coronation in 1953. Within the LGBTQ+ community, the purple of the pride flag represents non-binary gender identities. In the bisexual flag, the red and blue overlap to form purple representing bisexuality.
Purple Meanings and Associations
Some of the symbolic meanings and associations with the color purple include:
CreativityEmotionalityEnlightenmentFemininityImaginationInspirationMysteryRarityRoyaltySpirituality
Wisdom and Spirituality
Purple also represents wisdom and spirituality. Its rare and mysterious nature perhaps causes it to seem connected to the unknown, supernatural, and divine. Different shades of purple have different spiritual meanings. For instance, light purples are associated with light-hearted, romantic energies, while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. In some parts of Europe, purple is associated with death and mourning.
Courage and Bravery
In the U.S., the Purple Heart is among the highest honors for bravery in military service. The award, originally called the Badge of Military Merit, was created in 1782 by George Washington to give to soldiers for commendable action. The color represents courage and bravery.
Personality
While by no means scientific, liking purple might mean that you have positive feelings about some of the main associations of the color. So if purple is your favorite color, it might signify that you have an artistic, thoughtful, and intuitive side. You might also enjoy thinking about spiritual issues and the meaning of life. Of course, it might just mean that it is your favorite color due to your unique, individual associations and experiences.
Purple Is Unique and Exotic
Since purple does not often occur in nature, it can sometimes appear exotic or artificial. For this reason, it tends to be quite a polarizing color. People tend to either really love purple or really hate it. Visually, purple is one of the most difficult colors to discriminate. It also has the strongest electromagnetic wavelength, being just a few wavelengths up from x-rays and gamma rays. For this reason, it is often used in visual illusions such as the lilac chaser illusion.
Purple Color Meaning and Biology
When discussing color meaning, it’s also important to recognize the role that various biological factors play in perceiving it. Several factors affect how the brain perceives the color purple, such as vision, light, and a person’s interpretation of what the color represents. Additional factors that can contribute to how a person perceives a color is its hue, its level of saturation or purity, and how bright or dull it is. All these play into the frequency, wavelength, and energy associated with the color, which also changes how the eye and, subsequently, the brain perceive it.
A Word From Verywell
Responses to the color purple can vary considerably from one person to the next, but many feel that the color seems royal yet mysterious. Notice how purple is used in the image that accompanies this article. Consider how the color purple makes you feel. Do you associate purple with certain qualities or situations? The award-winning novel The Color Purple, written by Alice Walker in 1982, was later turned into a movie and a musical. The music icon Prince was also associated with this color, celebrating it in his song Purple Rain.
