What does the term "hue" refer to in relation to color?

The term "hue" specifically refers to a particular shade or variation of a given color. It describes the attribute of a color that allows it to be classified in terms of its specific tone on the color wheel, such as red, blue, green, or yellow. Hue is essentially what people commonly think of as "color" in its most basic form, without any modifiers such as lightness, darkness, or saturation.

In contrast to hue, lightness and darkness relate to the value of a color, indicating how much light or dark is present. Brightness refers to the intensity of a color, distinguishing how vivid or dull a color appears. The concept of mixing two colors relates to color theory and how colors can combine to create new hues or variations. Thus, the interpretation of hue focuses strictly on the identity of the color itself.