opacity

[oh-pas-i-tee]

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.

opacity

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonopacity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of opacity¹

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.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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

Read more on Barron's

He was instantly struck by the opacity of an investment bank’s books.

Read more on Literature

The Federal Reserve’s Financial Stability report, expected to be released Friday, could shed light on some of that opacity and put Wall Street at ease.

Read more on MarketWatch

The increasing opacity of these financing structures has led to a corollary collapse in collateral verification.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal