Achromatic
/ˌeɪ.krəˈmæt.ɪk/noun
Not involving or showing color; colorless or neutral in hue.
Did you know?Its Greek prefix a- means “without,” and chrōma means “color,” so this is one of those rare scientific words that still carries its original, stark literal meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
a- + chrōma
“without color”
Late Greek
Greek
achrōmatikos
“colorless; not pertaining to color”
17th–18th Century
New Latin / French
achromatique
“colorless; free from color”
18th Century
English
achromatic
“free from color or color fringes”
Modern English
English
achromatic
“not showing color; neutral in hue”
Explore more surprising origins