lucidity
Americannoun
-
the quality of being easily understood, completely intelligible, or comprehensible.
She makes her argument with pointed logic and exemplary lucidity.
-
the ability to see things clearly; rationality; sanity.
In a rare moment of lucidity, the senator sided with his political enemies for the good of the country.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lucidity
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin lūciditās, equivalent to lūcid(us) lucid ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Explanation
A good word definition should be characterized by its lucidity, or clarity. In other words, it should be clear and easy to understand — like this one. Lucidity comes from the Latin lucidus meaning "light, bright, clear." Certainly when something is light, bright, and clear, it's ripe with the quality of lucidity. An easy-to-read textbook is characterized by lucidity. A person too can possess a quality of lucidity, one that would allow her to express ideas as clearly as possible.
Vocabulary lists containing lucidity
Night
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
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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.
"These were fascinating examples to witness because they showed how dreamers can follow instructions, and dreams can be influenced by sounds during sleep, even without lucidity."
From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2026
It requires no external verification, whether through causal connection to the body or brain’s physical structures or through fleeting experiences of terminal lucidity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
By expressing disapproval in concrete ways, helpful protests can likely sear ethical lucidity into each of us more effectively and more often.
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2025
As mother to Spike, Isla is clearly sick but still desperately trying to care for him, even while slipping in and out of lucidity - apparently ravaged with confusion from decades under siege.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025
They look you in the eye, level and measuring, they sit at the kitchen table and the air around lights up with their lucidity.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
