What describes the warmth or coolness of a color?

The warmth or coolness of a color is indeed described by hue. Hue refers to the specific wavelength of light that a color represents, which allows it to be classified as a warm color (like reds, oranges, and yellows) or a cool color (like blues, greens, and purples). This classification helps artists, designers, and architects make choices that evoke specific emotions or atmospheres in their work.

While chroma pertains to the intensity or saturation of a color, and tonal value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, they do not specifically address the temperature aspect of color. Color theory is a broader context involving the relationships and combinations of colors, but again does not pinpoint the aspect of warmth or coolness intrinsic to hue. Thus, hue is the most accurate term to describe the warmth or coolness inherent to different colors.