translucent

[ trans-loo-suhnt, tranz- ]
See synonyms for translucent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible: Frosted window glass is translucent but not transparent.

  2. easily understandable; lucid: a translucent explication.

  1. clear; transparent: translucent seawater.

Origin of translucent

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin trānslūcent- (stem of trānslūcēns ), present participle of trānslūcēre “to shine through”; see trans-, lucent

synonym study For translucent

1. See transparent.

Opposites for translucent

Other words from translucent

  • trans·lu·cence, trans·lu·cen·cy, noun
  • trans·lu·cent·ly, adverb
  • sub·trans·lu·cence, noun
  • sub·trans·lu·cen·cy, noun
  • sub·trans·lu·cent, adjective

Words that may be confused with translucent

Words Nearby translucent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use translucent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for translucent

translucent

/ (trænzˈluːsənt) /


adjective
  1. allowing light to pass through partially or diffusely; semitransparent

Origin of translucent

1
C16: from Latin translūcēre to shine through, from trans- + lūcēre to shine

Derived forms of translucent

  • translucence or translucency, noun
  • translucently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for translucent

translucent

[ trăns-lōōsənt ]


  1. Allowing radiation (most commonly light) to pass through, but causing diffusion. Frosted glass, for example, is translucent to visible light. Compare transparent.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.