brightness
Americannoun
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the quality of being bright.
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Optics. the luminance of a body, apart from its hue or saturation, that an observer uses to determine the comparative luminance of another body. Pure white has the maximum brightness, and pure black the minimum brightness.
noun
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the condition of being bright
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physics a former name for luminosity
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psychol the experienced intensity of light
Etymology
Origin of brightness
before 950; Middle English brihtnes, Old English beorhtnes. See bright, -ness
Vocabulary lists containing brightness
Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Physics - Introductory
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Physics - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Citrus, always Brightness lifts everything — a squeeze of lemon over roasted vegetables, a wedge of lime in sparkling water, an orange eaten standing at the sink.
From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026
To make things easier on the eyes, go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
Here’s what they do: Notifications — tap to pull down the notification shade Screenshot Brightness Volume Starting with the Fold 4 and Flip 4, you’ll see a fifth option: Touchpad.
From The Verge • Aug. 12, 2022
The 49-year-old American had composed “The Brightness of Light,” an expanded song cycle that was premiered at Tanglewood in July 2019, based on his earlier “Letters from Georgia O’Keefe.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2021
“The Feast of Pure Brightness is only a few weeks away,” he said with a sigh.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
