lucidity

American  

[loo-sid-i-tee] / luˈsɪd ɪ ti /

Sometimes lucidness

noun

1. the quality of being easily understood, completely intelligible, or comprehensible.

   She makes her argument with pointed logic and exemplary lucidity.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonlucidity noun

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.

Example Sentences

Third is the persistence of unusual experiences, such as near-death experiences, mystical states, or episodes of terminal lucidity, which do not fit neatly into existing scientific frameworks.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

My piece outlined the evidence for terminal lucidity among people with advanced dementia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 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

It stemmed from a lucidity that lies beyond rage.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• clarity