luminous

[loo-muh-nuhs]

See more synonyms for luminous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.
lighted up or illuminated; well-lighted: the luminous ballroom.
brilliant intellectually; enlightened or enlightening, as a writer or a writer's works: a luminous concept; luminous prose.

clear; readily intelligible: a concise, luminous report.

Origin of luminous

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word lūminōsus. See lumen, -ous

Related formslu·mi·nous·ly, adverblu·mi·nous·ness, nounnon·lu·mi·nous, adjectivenon·lu·mi·nous·ly, adverbnon·lu·mi·nous·ness, nounself-lu·mi·nous, adjectivesem·i·lu·mi·nous, adjectivesem·i·lu·mi·nous·ly, adverbsem·i·lu·mi·nous·ness, nounun·lu·mi·nous, adjectiveun·lu·mi·nous·ly, adverbun·lu·mi·nous·ness, noun

Synonyms for luminous

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. lucid, radiant, resplendent, brilliant. 3. bright, intelligent. 4. understandable, perspicuous, lucid.

Antonyms for luminous

1, 2. dark. 3. stupid. 4. obscure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for luminous

lustrous, vivid, brilliant, radiant, incandescent, lucid, translucent, shining, bright, beaming, clear, crystal, effulgent, fulgent, illuminated, lambent, lit, luminescent, refulgent, resplendent

Examples from the Web for luminous

Contemporary Examples of luminous

There he claims he saw a luminous object change colors several times then vanish into the night sky.
1980: America’s First Extraterrestrial Election
October 15, 2014
Reviews when the play was at Steppenwolf in Chicago described her as luminous.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More
Janice Kaplan
September 11, 2014
Her luminous face has been preserved forever, and multiplies with every tribute.
The Day the Fairytale Died
Marilyn Johnson
July 12, 2014
Silverstone will “show you the way to have a luminous, present, ailment-free pregnancy.”
From ‘Clueless’ to Clueless: Alicia Silverstone’s ‘The Kind Mama’
Lizzie Crocker
April 22, 2014
The luminous 31-year-old actress who just took home an Academy Award has absolutely nothing to do.
Does Lupita Nyong’o’s Hollywood Fairytale Have a Happily Ever After?
Kevin Fallon
March 6, 2014

Historical Examples of luminous

The bridegroom regarded her with a face that was luminous of delight.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
They were dark, luminous and velvet soft as they watched my struggle.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
He looked back at it only once, and beheld the luminous glow of the campfires.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
That was the soul and secret of our rapid and luminous onward march.
Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863
Adam Gurowski
There was a luminous whiteness in the sky that affected the eyes, as snow does.
A Spirit in Prison
Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for luminous

luminous

adjective

radiating or reflecting light; shining; glowingluminous colours
(not in technical use) exhibiting luminescenceluminous paint
full of light; well-lit
(of a physical quantity in photometry) evaluated according to the visual sensation produced in an observer rather than by absolute energy measurementsluminous flux; luminous intensity Compare radiant
easily understood; lucid; clear
enlightening or wise

Derived Formsluminously, adverbluminousness, noun

Word Origin for luminous

C15: from Latin lūminōsus full of light, from lūmen light

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for luminous

adj.

early 15c., "full of light," from Latin luminosus "shining, full of light," from lumen (genitive luminis) "light," related to lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)). Related: Luminously.

luminous in Medicine

luminous

[lōō′mə-nəs]

adj.

Emitting light, especially emitting self-generated light.