brilliance

[bril-yuhns]

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• overbrilliance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brilliance¹

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

Example Sentences

For all that Australia can point to costly errors, it is the brilliance of Rodrigues and her all-time World Cup innings that will live long in the memory.

Read more on BBC

"The one thing we have got is individual brilliance," said the 45-year-old.

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On second thought, maybe I overstated their brilliance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Copeland’s ascent is remarkable not only for her technical brilliance but also for her role as a trailblazer for women of color in ballet.

Read more on Salon

He proved yet again to be distinguished in his field of expertise and the Lakers are reaping the rewards of Doncic’s brilliance.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cleverness www.thesaurus.com
• excellence 
• inspiration 
• intelligence 
• inventiveness www.thesaurus.com
• talent 
• wisdom 

When To Use

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.