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Meaning of the Color Green: Symbolism, Common Uses, & More

Green is the color of growth, balance, and renewal

This article is about the symbolism and meaning of the color green, which is part of the Color Meaning Series.

For more shades, check out the meanings of the colors here.

Summary of the meanings of the color green
Color green meanings

Where can we find the meaning of the color green?

In the deep green of the forests or the bright green of the grass? Perhaps we can find it in the still growing green fruits or in the dazzling sparkle of an emerald?

Green inspires and vitalizes us in all hues.

There is a reason for that, and we will talk about it in this article.

Namely, we’ll tackle not only the symbolism and meanings of green, but also its most common uses, company logos, chakra, gemstone, facts, quotes, and idioms.

Green Color Meanings in Different Cultures

Although we will talk thoroughly about the psychological meaning of green, it’s also important to point out its symbolism in different cultures.

In some cultures, the color green has plenty of positive meanings, which are deeply rooted in its psychological associations.

However, green also has negative meanings in other cultures, as we can see below.

  • In Indonesia, green has been traditionally forbidden.
  • In the Middle East, green symbolizes luck, fertility, and Islam.
  • In Brazil, green is associated with nature and hope.
  • In Ireland, the color green is a symbol of patriotism, and it also represents St. Patrick’s Day.
  • In Israel, green is a sign of bad news.
  • In Egypt, the color green conveys hope and fertility.
  • In China, green means infidelity.
  • The combination of green and red stands for Christmas in Western cultures.
  • In Japan, the color green is associated with eternal life.

What Does the Color Green Mean in the Bible?

Colors convey plenty of meanings in the Bible, and green means immortality, resurrection, growth, prosperity, and restoration.

The color green in the Bible is also associated with fertility.

Psychological Meaning of Green

Green is a dominant color in our world.

We see green the most in nature. From lush green landscapes to parks and your garden, the color green is ubiquitous.

Unlike blue, green is grounded in the tangible world, so it isn’t a color with many emotional meanings.

Woman reading near green area
Green is relaxing

It is the color that connects us to Mother Nature. It’s a relaxing color that soothes us with its gentle and peaceful undertones.

Green symbolizes good health and it’s also a healing color as it offers a balance between our body and mind. It brings harmony.

The color green is the color of nature, growth, freshness, energy, and fertility.

Color Green Meaning

There is a sense of togetherness in green that makes it the color of the unconditional love of family, nature, and the world.

And because of that, it’s not surprising that green is generous. It gives away without expecting anything in return.

Green, the fourth rainbow color, is a good listener. It loves to contribute to the harmony and growth of the community.

Green is calm, peaceful. It’s a soothing color that helps ease anxiety and depression, which is why it is often used in color therapy.

In the last few years, green has become more than a color. It has become a verb.

To go green is to think about the future. And that’s also one of the meanings of this color.

As in nature, green conveys growth and prosperity, providing wealth and hope for a better future.

Green conveys stability, endurance, good luck, generosity, hope, health, vigor, safety, and renewal.

Green beer in Ireland
Green means luck in Ireland

This color has strong emotional correspondence with safety. It evokes feelings of abundance while providing a restful and secure feeling.

That’s because when you see something green, you know it is alive and growing. The presence of green indicates not only life but also water, therefore, little danger of famine, reassuring us on a primitive level.

For instance, green is used in websites and apps in the modern world to indicate a transaction or action went well, again, reassuring us.

In the sense of prosperity and abundance, green is also associated with Wall Street, ambition, practicality, banking, finances, and money.

Still, just like everything else in the world, colors also have their duality.

When overused, green can cause people to become lazy, moody, depressed, placid, and lethargic.

In the meaning of the colors, green represents envy, greed, materialism, and possessiveness.

Green casino table
In the meaning of the colors, green is associated with money

It can also convey inexperience, overly judging, and jealousy.

However, green is not impulsive or uptight. On the contrary, the color green is about balance.

Because green is a result of blue and yellow, this color incorporates some attributes of both colors.

It is a calming and sensitive color like blue. Still, it has some of the energy, logic, and mental clarity of yellow, creating the perfect balance between heart and head.

This harmonious combination is the reason why green is a down-to-earth color.

It is the peacemaker of the spectrum, especially good at making mindful decisions, and it has a well-developed sense of right and wrong.

As said before, it is the color of balance, therefore, it is an excellent hue to have around when you want to recharge your energies after a rough day at work.

That’s also why we feel energized out in nature.

Physical Effects of Green

Each color has physical effects on us, including the color green. Green can be:

  • Relaxing – it promotes physical and mental relaxation as it strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatsoever and is, therefore, restful, which is particularly useful for people with depression and anxiety.
  • Revitalizing – it instills a sense of renewal and freshness, especially when we are emotionally/physically exhausted.
  • Reassuring – it is a color deeply associated with life and growth, reassuring us on a primitive level.
  • Improves cognitive development – green has been associated with enhanced behavioral development and reduced rate of ADHD in children. [1]

Personality Color Green

Is green your favorite color, or you have many green things at home? Green represents generous and diplomatic people who enjoy harmony. 

If green is indeed your favorite color, you will want to read about the personality color green.

Meanings of Green Shades

Tea green: Inexperience, dependable, youthfulness, a fresh start, relaxing.

  • Tea green hex code: #D0F0C0

Light green: A soothing and peaceful color, light green is an especially calm shade that represents renewal, luck, health, and optimism.

  • Light green hex color: #90EE90

True Green: It is associated with eco-friendliness but also with money. It represents health, growth, and wealth.

  • Green hex color: #00FF00

Yellow-green: Earthy, raw, sourness, sickness, and jealousy.

  • Yellow-green hex code: #C5E384

Dark green: It is dignified, professional, respectable, expensive, and sophisticated.

  • Dark green hex code: #003333

More Shades of Green

Shades of green
Shades of green

There are a lot of shades of green: lime, forest, mint, teal, seafoam, emerald, sage, olive, pistachio, basil, pickle, crocodile, pine, juniper, seaweed, chartreuse, moss, yellow, army, kelly, jade, jungle, Persian, tea, shamrock, aquamarine, viridian, spring green, pea green, grass green, apple

Most Common Uses of Green

Green is often used to evoke freshness, eco-friendliness, agriculture, recycling, gardening, stability, and pureness.

  • Military gear
  • Eco-friendly products
  • Green energy companies
  • Cleaning products

Companies and Brands That Use Green in Their Logo

Green is commonly used to promote items related to nature, energy, technology, gardening, cleanness, and non-profit industries.

Green logos
Companies and brands that have green logos

Green Chakra

Each of the seven chakra colors has its meaning rooted in the associations of those colors.

The chest chakra, Anahata, also known as green chakra, helps us restore the normal state of the body and mind, feeling more love and empathy.

Green Gemstone

The green gemstone is used to even out energies, promoting change. It also stimulates growth by increasing feelings of optimism and hope.

Facts About Green

  • Green is a secondary color made by combining blue and yellow, according to the CMYK color model. Still, green is a primary color in the RGB color model, used for TVs and monitors.
  • Of all colors of the spectrum, green has the most shades, ranging from yellowish to blueish.
  • Of all sorts of color blindness, red/green blindness comprise 99% of them.
  • Green is the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye.
  • Green is second to blue as a favorite color.
  • The only single color national flag is green. It’s from Libya.
  • In the 19th century, the American government printed one side of the bills with green ink to avoid fraud. Since then, bills have been called greenback.

Quotes About Green

Here are some quotes about green for you.

Do something green today.

Quote about green

Green calm below, blue quietness above.

John Greenleaf Whittier
Quote about green

Green is the prime color of the world and that from which its loveliness arises.

Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Quote about green

When you’re green, you’re growing. When you’re ripe, you’re not.

Ray Kroc
Quote about green

For still there are so many things that I have never seen: in every wood in every spring there is a different green.

J.R.R. Tolkien
Quote about green

Popular Idioms With the Word Green

  • Greenhorn: It means an inexperienced person.
  • Green with envy: It means to be very jealous or envious.
  • Green behind the ears: It means to be naive and lacking experience.
  • Green around the gills: It means a person feels or is looking ill or nauseous.
  • Green-eyed monster: It means the personification of jealousy.
  • Get the green light: It is defined as to grant permission to go forward with something.
  • The grass is greener: It is a proverb used to say that the things/situations of others always look better than your own, even when it’s untrue.
  • Green thumb: It means to have a natural talent for growing plants.
  • Greenback: An informal name for a dollar bill.
  • Greenroom: It is a room in a theatre or studio in which performers can relax when they are not performing.
  • Greener pastures: It means a place or condition that is more beneficial or favorable.

Summary Color Green Meaning

Green is the color of life.

It is associated with nature, health, growth, and prosperity. Because it represents hope for a better future, green has become more than a color, it has become a verb.

The color green is the result of blue and yellow, hence why it has traits of both colors, being relaxing but also energizing.

Still, green can convey jealousy, envy, and greed.

Too much green can cause people to become moody, depressed, placid, and lethargic.

It’s the color of balance and renewal, mostly associated with success. 

Green means: harmony, growth, freshness, energy
Effects of green: relaxing, revitalizing, reassuring, improves cognitive development
Positive traits: prosperity, safety, hope, balance
Negative traits: greed, envy, judgmental, materialist

Madelaine Miranda Bonifacio Yacas

Friday 26th of November 2021

It's a green green grass of endless hope till your dreams become a reality.