brilliance
Americannoun
-
great brightness; luster.
the brilliance of a fine diamond.
- Synonyms:
- refulgence, effulgence, radiance
- Antonyms:
- dullness
-
excellence or distinction; conspicuous talent, mental ability, etc.
- Synonyms:
- genius, preeminence, illustriousness
- Antonyms:
- dullness
-
splendor, elegance, or magnificence.
the brilliance of the court of Louis XIV.
-
Optics. that luminance of a body consisting of its saturation and brightness.
noun
-
great brightness; radiance
-
excellence or distinction in physical or mental ability; exceptional talent
-
splendour; magnificence
the brilliance of the royal court
-
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
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.
“I wanted a group that centered her experience, brilliance and power as a young girl of color,” said Rivera-Amador, who has a master’s degree in ethnic studies from UC San Francisco.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
David Plotz: Do you get the sense that Lachlan has the ruthless brilliance and the eye for talent that Rupert Murdoch has had?
From Slate • Mar. 21, 2026
I'm keeping my battered bowler hat under the table in case you grace us with another round of radio brilliance.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
One gets the sense that Miriam’s inner darkness is inseparable from her brilliance, like Georgiana’s birthmark in Hawthorne’s early short story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Family skeletons notwithstanding, does Skeeter deny the brilliance that led to Dumbledore’s many magical discoveries?
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
