luminescence

American  

[loo-muh-nes-uhns] / ˌlu məˈnɛs əns /

noun

1. the emission of light not caused by incandescence and occurring at a temperature below that of incandescent bodies.

2. the light produced by such an emission.

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luminescence British  

/ ˌluːmɪˈnɛsəns /

noun

1. physics

   1. the emission of light at low temperatures by any process other than incandescence, such as phosphorescence or chemiluminescence

   2. the light emitted by such a process

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luminescence Scientific  

/ lo̅o̅′mə-nĕs′əns /

1. The emission of light as a result of the excitation of atoms by energy other than heat. Bioluminescence, fluorescence, and phosphorescence are examples of luminescence that can be produced by biological or chemical processes.

2. The light produced in this way.

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Other Word Forms

• luminescent adjective
• nonluminescence noun

Etymology

Origin of luminescence

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin lūmin- ( lumen ) + -escence

Example Sentences

This action inspires lovely, shimmering visuals of delicate luminescence, but Mr. Cameron’s references to becoming one with the environment would make the most earnest hippie folk singer blush.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Their luminescence highlights the crowd while also creating a more intimate, reflective atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2025

Using advanced dating techniques including U-series dating on human fossils, and radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating on fossil-bearing sediments, the study revealed new ages ranging from approximately 33,000 to 23,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

The scientists used a technique called luminescence dating to work out the age of the star dune.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2024

He prowled about by Mrs. Coulter’s sleeping bag, scratching with a little horny finger at the occasional glowflies that settled in the cave and smearing their luminescence over the rock.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman