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.
Instead, they measure subtle changes in brightness from the combined light of the star and the orbiting planet as it moves.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
But I’d like to make the case for my pasta, which draws inspiration from classic spaghetti alla puttanesca while doubling down on the acidity, brightness and overall tang.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
These discs can grow and fade over time, causing changes in brightness that continue to attract amateur astronomers today.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
Distinctive features of the Lyrids are their colours and brightness, along with exceptionally bright fireballs from time to time, outshining the planet Venus.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Beloved had a book laid out in his lap, a circle of brightness cast on it from his reading light.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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.
