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chromatic

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chromatic¹

  • /kɹəˈmæt.ɪk/ UK
  • /kɹəʊˈmæt.ɪk/ UK
  • /kɹəˈmæt.ɪk/ US
  • /kɹoʊˈmæt.ɪk/ US
  • [-ɾɪk] US

Rhymes with -ætɪk

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French chromatique (“chromatic”) or directly from its etymon Latin chrōmaticus, from Ancient Greek χρωματικός (khrōmatikós, “relating to colour; one of the three types of tetrachord in Greek music”), from χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour; pigment; chromatic scale in music; music”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to grind; to rub; to stroke; to remove”), perhaps in the sense of the grinding of pigments) + -τῐκός (-tĭkós, suffix forming adjectives); analysable as chroma + -tic.

adjective more chromatic · most chromatic

  1. not comparable, usually Characterized or caused by, or relating to, colour or hue.

    Opposite: nonchromatic

  2. comparable, not comparable, usually Brightly coloured; colourful, vivid.

    Opposite: achromatic, drab, dull, colourless, nonchromatic

  3. not comparable, usually Having the capacity to separate spectral colours by refraction.
  4. not comparable, usually Relating to colorings of graphs.
  5. historical, not comparable, usually One of three types of tetrachord (the others being the diatonic and enharmonic), with an interval between half and four-fifths of the total interval of a tetrachord.
  6. not comparable, usually Relating to or using notes not belonging to the diatonic scale of the key in which a passage of music is written. All the intervals of the scale that are a whole tone (step) distant from each other may be divided into half tones, (small steps), forming an entire scale of small intervals, (half tones), called the Chromatic Scale. […] All the tones (steps) of the scale being thus divided, either by means of the s

    Opposite: achromatic, diatonic

  7. not comparable, usually Moving in semitones.

chromatic²

  • /kɹəˈmæt.ɪk/ UK
  • /kɹəʊˈmæt.ɪk/ UK
  • /kɹəˈmæt.ɪk/ US
  • /kɹoʊˈmæt.ɪk/ US
  • [-ɾɪk] US

Rhymes with -ætɪk

Where it comes from

From chromatin + -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns).

adjective

  1. not comparable Relating to chromatin (a complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins within the cell nucleus out of which chromosomes condense during cell division). Each nucleus has, then, (1) a protoplasmic body, and (2) a portion formed of nuclein, which is the chromatin of [Walther] Flemming. […] The chromatic reticulum of Flemming is only an appearance due to the regular crossing of its convolutions, rarely to their temporary union.

Translations

Every language

adj characterized or caused by, or relating to, colour or hue

Españolcromático
Portuguêscromático
Italianocromatico
Românăcromatic
Русскийхромати́ческий xromatíčeskij, цветно́й cvetnój

adj relating to or using notes not belonging to the diatonic scale of the key in which a passage of music is written

Españolcromático
日本語クロマチックな kuromachikku na
Françaischromatique
Deutschchromatisch
Italianocromatico
Românăcromatic
Русскийхромати́ческий xromatíčeskij

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Cite this
MLA

"chromatic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chromatic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

chromatic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chromatic

Chicago

"chromatic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chromatic.

BibTeX
@misc{chromatic_2026,
  title = {chromatic},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chromatic},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}