brilliance

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.

The first records of the word brilliance come from the mid-1700s. It’s a noun form of the adjective brilliant, which comes from the French brillant, meaning “shining,” from the French verb briller, “to shine.”

Brilliant was originally used as a way to describe things that literally shine or sparkle, such as the sun or a diamond. Eventually, it started to be used to describe people whose intellectual brilliance shines like the sun or a diamond.

Brilliant cut diamonds are those that are cut in a way that’s intended to maximize their brilliance—a large number of facets are added in order to better catch the light and reflect it back.

What are some other forms related to brilliance?

• brilliant (adjective)

What are some synonyms for brilliance?

• brightness
• luster
• luminance
• luminosity
• radiance
• splendor
• magnificence

What are some words that share a root or word element with brilliance? 

• brilliancy
• brilliant cut

What are some words that often get used in discussing brilliance?

• shining
• sparkling
• light
• sun
• diamond
• mind
• idea

Brilliance is usually used in a positive way. It’s especially used in the context of very smart people and things that shine.

To increase the productivity of your team, lead by example, and allow others to step into their brilliance by empowering them.

— Neen James (@neenjames) August 12, 2014

Tiffany designers and craftspeople obsessively consider angles, proportion and symmetry to ensure a diamond’s brilliance changes the very energy of the room—regardless of its placement in a setting. Discover more: https://t.co/EJXwfd5J88 #TiffanyAndCo pic.twitter.com/g1RIUz4BwF

— Tiffany & Co. (@TiffanyAndCo) January 12, 2020

I can't wait to see #Logan again! The brilliance of the film is that it haunts you even after it ends. So much going on!

— Joshua Gannon (@blueyedguy86) March 11, 2017

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of brilliance?

A. luster
B. brightness
C. gloom
D. luminance