crystalline
Americanadjective
-
of or like crystal; clear; transparent.
-
formed by crystallization.
-
composed of crystals.
-
pertaining to crystals or their formation.
adjective
-
having the characteristics or structure of crystals
-
consisting of or containing crystals
-
made of or like crystal; transparent; clear
Other Word Forms
- crystallinity noun
- multicrystalline adjective
- noncrystalline adjective
- precrystalline adjective
- pseudocrystalline adjective
- subcrystalline adjective
- uncrystalline adjective
Etymology
Origin of crystalline
1350–1400; Middle English cristal ( l ) yn ( e ) < Latin crystallinus < Greek krystállinos. See crystal, -ine 1
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.
L.A.’s smog changed just about everything around us — even the crystalline light that the Chamber of Commerce bragged about, that enticed people to come here.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
That sharp crystalline hit against the fudgy crumb makes the chocolate taste deeper.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026
Alongside his own survey of Mont Blanc published in a monumental chromolithograph is his modest diagram of its underlying crystalline structure, as if it were a faceted gem.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026
Once that confinement breaks down, the built-up tension is released and the metal rearranges into its usual crystalline form.
From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025
“So,” Sahil said after a moment of crystalline silence.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
