Red-violet is a deep tone of rosy magenta.  It may also be considered a reddish tone of purple or a bluish tone of rose.

On the old fashioned, now obsolete red-yellow-blue pigment color wheel (in which red, yellow, and blue were regarded as the primary colors and orange, green, and violet were regarded as the secondary colors), red-violet was a tertiary  color between red and violet on the red-yellow-blue pigment color wheel and thus was the equivalent of pigment purple.  The other tertiary colors on a red-yellow-blue (RYB) color wheel were called blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and red-orange.

The RYB color wheel is still often used to teach color to children.

Meaning of red-violet

 Red-violet is used to represent wine (especially in advertising and in animated films), and thus is associated with the Greek god Dionysus and with celebrations, parties, night clubs and the theatre in general (In Greek mythology, Dionysus was the god of the theatre as well as of wine).

Electric purple observed on spectrum beyond violet by ultraviolet sensitives

It has been reported by ophthalmologists that those who have their lenses removed and replaced with clear plastic intraocular lenses can see partway into the ultraviolet and view electric purple (a tone of red-violet) on the spectrum beyond Violet because it has been shown that the retina has some ultraviolet sensitivity which is normally blocked by the natural lens. Presumably, tetrachromatic animals such as birds can also see this color on the spectrum. These observers able to see partially into the ultraviolet describe the color they can see beyond violet in the ultraviolet as a sort of lilac, that is, a reddish-violet (purple) color that is the color of the lilac flower. (Presumably this color that they see would be electric purple, since electric purple is a pure chroma on the color wheel and would presumably be the color we would see on the spectrum beyond violet if we could see into the ultraviolet.)

Comparison of red, red-violet, and violet
Note: The spectrum colors can only be approximated on a computer screen but the colors shown below are a close approximation of the spectral colors red and violet, shown compared to the non-spectral color red-violet (a deep tone of the color magenta tending toward rose).

Tones of red-violet color comparison chart
 Light Lavender Blush (Lavender Blush Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #FFF9FB) (RGB: 255, 245, 251)
 Lavender Blush (web color) (Hex: #FFF0F5) (RGB: 255, 240, 245)
 Light Melanie (Melanie Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #F4E5ED) (RGB: 244, 229, 237)
 Light Can Can (Can Can Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #EBCBD6) (RGB: 237, 203, 214)
 Light Kobi (Kobi Light (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #F5D3E6)) (RGB: 245, 211, 230)
 Pale Blush (Deep Blush Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #F4BBCF) (RGB: 244, 187, 207)
 Light Lavender Magenta (Xona.com color list "Violet Light Light") (Hex: #F8C3F) (RGB: 248, 195, 248)
 Brilliant Lavender (Electric Lavender) (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #F4BBFF) (RGB: 249, 192, 255)
 Rich Brilliant Lavender (Hex: #F1A7FE) (www.99colors.net) (RGB: 241, 167, 254)
 Lavender Rose (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #FBA0E3) (RGB: 251, 160, 227)
 Lavender Magenta (web color "violet") (Hex: #EE82EE) (RGB: 238, 130, 238)
 Brilliant Red-Violet (Xona.com color list "Violet-Red Light") (Hex: #EB6FCB) (RGB: 235, 111, 203)
 Violet-Red (Crayola) (Hex: #F75394) (RGB: 247, 83, 148)
 Red-Purple (Gallego & Sanz) (Hex: #E40078) (RGB: 228, 0, 120)
 Light Shiraz (Shiraz Light (Xona.com Color List)) (Hex: #DD4384) (RGB: 221, 67, 132)
 Blush (Crayola) (Hex: #DE5D83) (RGB: 222, 93, 131)
<li style = "background-color: #d94972;"> Cabaret (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #D94972) (RGB: 217, 73, 114)<li>
 Light Disco (Disco Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex:C65EA0) (RGB: 198, 94, 160)
 Light Hibiscus (Hibiscus Light (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #DF84B5) (RGB: 223, 132, 181)
 Pink Lavender (Taro) (Pantone  TPX 14-3207) (Hex: #D8B2D1) (RGB: 219, 178, 209)
 Light Blush (Blush Light (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #DE98B2) (RGB: 222, 152, 178)
 Light Rouge (Rouge Light (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #D58EB5) (RGB: 213, 142, 181)
 Light Night Shadz (Night Shadz Light (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #D98AA8) (RGB: 217, 138, 168)
 Puce (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #CC8899) (RGB: 204, 136, 153)
 Can Can (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #D591A4) (RGB: 213, 145, 164)
<li style = "background-color: #d597ae;"> Pale Persian Lilac (Ridgway) (Hex: #D597AE) (RGB: 213, 151, 174) <li>
 Light Red-Violet (Xona.com color list "Violet-Red Medium Light") (Hex: #E79EC5) (RGB: 231, 94, 197)
 Light Pale Red-Violet (Xona.com color list "Pale Violet-Red Light") (Hex: #F0B7CD) (RGB: 240, 183, 205)
<li style ="background-color:#e79fc4;"> Kobi (Xona.com color list) (Light Aubergine) (Hex: #C79FC4) (RGB: 231, 159, 196)<li>
<li style ="background-color:#ef9bb9;"> Light Cabaret (Cabaret Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #EF9BB9) (RGB: 239, 155, 185)<li>
 Light Royal Heath (Royal Heath Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #D987B9) (RGB: 217, 135, 185)
<li style = "background-color: #cf71af;"> Sky Magenta (Venus Colored Pencils) (Hex: #CF71AF) (RGB: 207, 113, 175)
 Bright Blush (Deep Blush (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #E47698) (RGB: 228, 118, 152)
 Pale Red-Violet (web color Pale Violet-Red) (Hex: #DB7093) (RGB: 219, 112, 147)
 English Lavender (Pantone TPX 17-3617) (Hex: #B48395) (RGB: 180, 131, 149)
 Light Cosmic (Cosmic Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #BB8CAA) (RGB: 187, 140, 170)
 Lavender Brown (Medium Vanda) (Plochere "Vanda") (Plochere) (Hex: #AA8A9E) (RGB: 170, 138, 158)
 Bazaar (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #98777B) (RGB: 152, 119, 123)
 Persian Lilac (Ridgway) (Hex: #C17E91) (RGB: 193, 126, 145) 
 Lilac (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #CBA2C8) (RGB: 200, 162, 200)
 Melanie (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #E4C2D5) (RGB: 228, 194, 213)
 Thistle (web color) (Hex: #D8BFD8) (RGB: 216, 191, 216)
<li style = "background-color: #e0b0ff;"> Mauve (Mallow) (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #E0B0FF) (RGB: 224, 176, 255)<li>
 Pale Plum (web color Plum) (Medium Lavender Magenta) (Hex: #DDA0DD) (RGB: 221, 160, 221)
 Light Orchid (Orchid (Crayola)) (Hex: #E29CD2) (RGB: 226, 156, 210)
 Orchid (web color) (Hex: #DA70D6) (RGB: 218, 112, 240) 
 Heliotrope (PerBang.dk) (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #DF73FF) (RGB: 223, 115, 255)
<li style = "background-color: #d46ff9;"> Light Veronica (Xona.com color list "[X11] Purple Light") (Hex:D46FF9) (RGB: 212,111, 249)<li>
<li style="background-color: #dd00FF;"> Psychedelic Purple (Phlox (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #DD00FF) (RGB: 221, 0, 255)<li>
 Electric Purple (True Purple (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #C400FF) (RGB: 191, 0, 255)
<li style = "background-color: #a020F0;"> Veronica (X11 web color Purple) (Hex: #A020F0) (RGB: 160, 92, 240)<li>
<li style = "background-color: #9932cc; color: #ffffff"> Dark Orchid (web color) (Hex: #9932CC) (RGB: 153, 50, 204)<li>
 Deep Lilac (German Lilac) (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #9955BB) (RGB: 153, 85, 187) 
 Medium Orchid (web color) (Hex: #BA55D3) (RGB: 183, 85, 211)
 Light Nightclub (Nightclub Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex:B10097) (RGB: 177, 0, 151)
 Byzantine (Maerz & Paul) (Hex:BD33A4) (RGB: 189, 51, 164)
 Deep Magenta Rose (Hex:C120A2) (RGB: 193, 32, 162)
 Light Flirt (Flirt Light (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #D500B6) (RGB: 213, 0, 182)
 Royal Fuchsia (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #CA2C92) (RGB: 202, 44, 146)
 Bright Red-Violet (Xona.com "Violet-Red") (Hex: #D02090) (RGB: 208, 32, 144)
<li style="background-color: #c71585; color: #ffffff"> RED-VIOLET (web color Medium Violet-Red) (Hex: #C71585) (RGB: 199, 21, 133)<li>
 Medium Red-Violet (Crayola Red-Violet) (Hex: #BB3385) (RGB: 187, 51, 133)
 Hibiscus (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #B6316C) (RGB: 182, 49, 108)
 Deep Blush (Blush (Xona.com color list)) (Hex: #B44668) (RGB: 180, 70, 104) Popstar (Resene color list) (Hex: #BE4F62) (RGB: 190, 79, 98)
 Shiraz (Xona.com color list) (Hex:B20931) (RGB: 178, 9, 49)
 Night Shadz (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #AA375A) (RGB: 170, 55, 90)
 Royal Heath (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #AB3472) (RGB: 171, 52, 114)
<li style="background-color: #a65e7e; color: #ffffff"> Deep Medium Red-Violet (Red-Violet (Pantone TPX 17-1818)) (Hex: #A65E7E) (RGB: 166, 94, 126)<li>
 Mallow Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #A8516E) (RGB: 168, 81, 110)
 Jazzberry Jam (Crayola) (Hex: #A50B5E) (RGB: 165, 11, 94)
 Flirt (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #A2006D) (RGB: 162, 0, 109)
 Rouge (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #A23B6C) (RGB: 162, 59, 108)
 Strong Red-Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #9A366B) (RGB: 154, 54, 107)
 Vietnamese Mauve (Hex: #993366) (RGB: 153, 51, 102)
 Red-Violet Eggplant (Hex: #990066) (RGB: 153, 0, 102)
 Twilight Lavender (Crayola Silver Swirls) (Hex: #8A496B) (RGB: 138, 73, 107)
 Disco (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #871550) (RGB: 135, 21, 80) 
 Pansy Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #78184A) (RGB: 120, 24, 74)
<li style="background-color: #763950; color: #ffffff"> Cosmic (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #763950) (RGB: 118, 57, 93) <li>
<li style="background-color: #755258; color: #ffffff"> Galaxy (Resene color list) (Hex: #755258) (RGB: 117, 77, 82) <li>
 Wine (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #722F37) (RGB: 114, 47, 55) 
 Wine Dregs (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #673147) (RGB: 103, 49, 71) 
 Halaya Ube (www.99colors.net) (Purple Yam Jam) (Hex: #663854) (RGB: 102, 56, 84)
 Nightclub (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #660045) (RGB: 102, 0, 69) 
 Eggplant (Crayola) (Aubergine) (Hex: #614051) (RGB: 97, 64, 81)
<li style="background-color: #50404d; color: #ffffff"> Purple Taupe (www.99colors.net) (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #50404D) (RGB: 80, 64, 77) <li>

Related pages
 List of colors

References