What does chroma refer to in color terminology?

Chroma, in color terminology, particularly refers to the saturation of a color, which describes the intensity or purity of the hue. A color with high chroma is vivid and strong, while a color with low chroma appears more muted or grayish.

The concept of chroma is essential in understanding how colors interact and how they are perceived visually. A high saturation means the color is bold and rich. In contrast, as the saturation decreases, the color approaches a gray tone, indicating a loss of intensity.

In this context, the correct answer centers on chroma's relationship to the richness and purity of color, which aligns with the definition of saturation rather than the amount of grayness, which is a different but related aspect of color quality. This distinction helps clarify why the other options do not accurately represent the meaning of chroma in color theory.