lilac
noun
li·lac
| \ ˈlī-ˌläk
, -ˌlak, -lək
\
, -ˌlak, -lək
\
Definition of lilac
1a
: a widely cultivated European shrub (Syringa vulgaris) of the olive family that has cordate ovate leaves and large panicles of fragrant pinkish-purple or white flowers
b
: a tree or shrub congeneric with the lilac
2
: a variable color averaging a moderate purple
Illustration of lilac
lilac 1a
Examples of lilac in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Finally, those leaf rollers really did a number on most of the lilac bushes. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "Last year’s garden did great. This year, it did nothing. What went wrong?," 1 Aug. 2019 For a true lilac shade, hair needs to be a pale, neutral blonde. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "How To Get Megan Rapinoe’s 2019 World Cup Winning Purple Hair," 8 July 2019 The spacious living room has an enormous window that lets in a ton of light, all of it reflecting on the periwinkle coffee table, lilac carpet, and purple walls. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Every Inch of This Home Was Decorated in Shades of Purple," 24 June 2019 Sunmi morphed into the mermaid with the help of scale-like sequins on her hands, arms, and temples, as well as shimmery lilac eye shadow. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "K-Pop Star Sunmi's Best Makeup Looks From Her New "Siren" Music Video," 4 Sep. 2018 There are three California lilacs with whispery purple buds to remember the triplets. — Kevin Fisher-paulson, SFChronicle.com, "An olive branch to S.F. sourdough lovers," 30 July 2019 The Duchess of Cambridge wore a lilac A-line Emilia Wickstead dress and a crocodile Aspinal of London handbag. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Wears an Emilia Wickstead Dress to the Global Mental Health Summit with Prince William," 9 Oct. 2018 Fanick’s phlox has a fragrance that resembles that of lilac. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Fall tomato season is almost here," 12 July 2019 In keeping with this idea, one homeowner took her love of lilac just a little too far—or, some of you may think, not far enough! — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Every Inch of This Home Was Decorated in Shades of Purple," 24 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lilac.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for lilac
lilac
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lilac
: a type of bush with purple or white flowers that bloom in the spring
: a light purple color
See the full definition for lilac in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lilac
noun
li·lac
| \ ˈlī-ˌläk
, -ˌlak, -lək\
, -ˌlak, -lək\
Kids Definition of lilac
1
: a bush having clusters of fragrant pink, purple, or white flowers
2
: a medium purple
Keep scrolling for more