chromaticism

adjective

1. of color or having color or colors
2. highly colored
3. Biol. readily stained
4. Music
   1. using or progressing by semitones: a chromatic scale
   2. producing all the tones of such a scale: a chromatic instrument
   3. using tones not in the key of a work: chromatic harmony

Origin: LL chromaticus < Gr chrōmatikos, suited for color: see chroma & -atic

noun