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.

---

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

---

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

Explanation

Brilliance is a quality of being intensely bright or vivid. City dwellers might be surprised at the brilliance of the stars in the night sky the first time they go camping in the mountains. We can trace the noun brilliance back to a Latin root meaning "to shine like a precious stone," and now we use it do describe things that glow with light, shine with color, or sparkle with intelligence. The brilliance of your sister's red hair shining in the sun can't begin to compare with her brilliance on the school math team.

Example Sentences

Corvette, a promising and hard-working designer herself who aspires to Christie’s brilliance, is tormented by nightmares of rich people complaining about the generation who “can’t expect everything to be handed to them.”

From Salon • May 22, 2026

“Yet here is this singular brilliance, consigned to a small span of years. He places the two side by side in the scales.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Mantello’s barnacle-stripping revival of Arthur Miller’s masterwork — elevated by the stalwart brilliance of Metcalf’s Linda — reaches its full cathartic force in the final scene between Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman and Christopher Abbott’s Biff.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Harry Kane's penalty was cancelled out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's clinical finish, before Joao Neves' glancing header and Michael Olise's moment of individual brilliance left the sides level.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The glowing sky lit the room with a strange brilliance.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

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