flat-colour
|flat-col-our|
🇺🇸
/ˈflætˌkʌlər/
🇬🇧
/ˈflætˌkʌlə/
uniform, unshaded colour
Etymology
'flat-colour' originates from English, specifically the words 'flat' and 'colour', where 'flat' meant 'broad, level' (from Old Norse 'flatr') and 'colour' came via Old French 'colour' from Latin 'color' meaning 'hue, pigment'.
'flat' changed from Old Norse 'flatr' and related Old English forms meaning 'level' or 'broad', while 'colour' passed from Latin 'color' into Old French 'colour' and then Middle English 'colour'; the compound 'flat colour' / 'flat-colour' developed in Modern English usage to describe uniform areas of colour (especially in printing, illustration, and digital art).
Initially the separate words meant 'level/broad' and 'hue/pigment'; over time, the compound came to denote specifically a 'uniform, unshaded colour' in visual contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an area or layer of single, uniform colour (often used in art, illustration, comics, and design to refer to base areas of colour before shading or effects are applied).
Before adding highlights, the artist blocked in the flat-colour across the character.
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Adjective 1
having a uniform, unshaded colour or tone; lacking highlights, shading, texture, or gradation.
The designer used a flat-colour background to keep the layout simple.
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Last updated: 2025/09/25 02:17