brilliance

American  

[bril-yuhns] / ˈbrɪl yəns /

noun

1. great brightness; luster.

   the brilliance of a fine diamond.

   Synonyms:

   refulgence, effulgence, radiance

   Antonyms:

   dullness

2. excellence or distinction; conspicuous talent, mental ability, etc.

   Synonyms:

   genius, preeminence, illustriousness

   Antonyms:

   dullness

3. splendor, elegance, or magnificence.

   the brilliance of the court of Louis XIV.

4. Optics. that luminance of a body consisting of its saturation and brightness.

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brilliance British  

/ ˈbrɪljəns /

noun

1. great brightness; radiance

2. excellence or distinction in physical or mental ability; exceptional talent

3. splendour; magnificence

   the brilliance of the royal court

4. physics a former term for luminance

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Usage

What does brilliance mean? Brilliance commonly refers to the quality of extreme intelligence. People considered geniuses are often said to possess or display brilliance.Brilliance is a noun form of the adjective brilliant, which commonly means extremely intelligent but can also mean outstanding, exceptional, or magnificent, as in a brilliant performance. These senses of brilliant are based on its more general meaning—shining brightly or sparkling. Bright sunshine can be described as brilliant in this way. A very sparkly gem such as a diamond could also be described as brilliant. Brilliance can be used in these contexts to refer to the brightness or sparkliness of such things.Brilliant can also be used to mean vivid or vibrant. This sense of the word is especially used to describe colors and sounds that stand out due to being especially strong and clear. Brilliance refers to the quality of such things.Example: I cannot overstate the brilliance of the performance—it was magnificent in every way.

Other Word Forms

• overbrilliance noun

Etymology

Origin of brilliance

First recorded in 1745–55; brilli(ant) + -ance

Example Sentences

Hope arrived with Horne and that piece of brilliance when finishing in the corner.

From BBC

Rossini’s wit and brilliance in pieces such as “The Barber of Seville” defined a lighter side of Italian opera.

From Salon

The film leavens its comprehensive pessimism only through the shimmering brilliance of its execution.

From The Wall Street Journal

But France had the last word, deservedly, as more brilliance and enterprise sent Attissogbe away in the corner.

From Barron's

What mattered was the brilliance both painters brought to the genre each transformed in equal measure.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cleverness
• excellence
• inspiration
• intelligence
• inventiveness
• talent
• wisdom