opacity

American  

[oh-pas-i-tee] / oʊˈpæs ɪ ti /

noun

PLURAL

opacities

1. the state or quality of being opaque.

2. something opaque.

3. the degree to which a substance is opaque; capacity for being opaque.

4. Photography.  the proportion of the light that is absorbed by the emulsion on any given area of a film or plate.

5. obscurity of meaning.

6. mental dullness.

7. Medicine/Medical.  an opaque spot or area in normally clear or transparent tissue, as a cataract of the eye.

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opacity British  

/ əʊˈpæsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being opaque

2. the degree to which something is opaque

3. an opaque object or substance

4. obscurity of meaning; unintelligibility

5. physics photog the ratio of the intensity of light incident on a medium, such as a photographic film, to that transmitted through the medium

6. logic philosophy the property of being an opaque context

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Other Word Forms

• nonopacity noun

Etymology

Origin of opacity

First recorded in 1550–60, opacity is from the Latin word opācitās shade. See opaque, -ity

Example Sentences

In a market where opacity is the whole point, it is also a tricky feat.

From The Wall Street Journal

For markets already uneasy about the outlook for inflation, that opacity could become another source of volatility.

From Barron's

But a special layer of opacity exists around funding for abortion access.

From Seattle Times

But the complexity — and opacity — of the situation hasn’t stopped the insurance industry from using State Farm’s decision to argue for regulatory change.

From Los Angeles Times

The EU also has a world-leading system for controlling imports and punishing opacity by denying poor performers access to EU markets — the notable exception being China.

From Salon