crystalline
Americanadjective
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of or like crystal; clear; transparent.
-
formed by crystallization.
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composed of crystals.
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pertaining to crystals or their formation.
adjective
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having the characteristics or structure of crystals
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consisting of or containing crystals
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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
Best of all, it’s self-organizing: Under the right conditions, it automatically forms a regular, crystalline pattern.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
“She sang it so beautifully. And her voice was so crystalline and gorgeous.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
Previous work in Adaurice’s lab had shown that crystalline A-form DNA fibers increase in length when they take up water and go over into the B form.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
