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Synonyms

radiance

American  
[rey-dee-uhns] / ˈreɪ di əns /

noun

  1. radiant brightness or light.

    the radiance of the tropical sun.

    Synonyms:
    brilliance, splendor, resplendence
  2. warm, cheerful brightness.

    the radiance of her expression.

  3. Rare. radiation.


radiance British  
/ ˈreɪdɪəns /

noun

  1. the quality or state of being radiant

  2.  Le.  a measure of the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface. It is the radiant intensity in a given direction of a small element of surface area divided by the orthogonal projection of this area onto a plane at right angles to the direction

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonradiance noun
  • subradiance noun
  • superradiance noun

Etymology

Origin of radiance

First recorded in 1595–1605; radi(ant) + -ance

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She’s by his side clasping her hands, wearing a colorful blouse that pales in radiance to Huerta’s hopeful face as she looks at the crowd before them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

As Elmire, Ms. Gray has a gentle radiance and tolerant air of affection for her husband’s folly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Another critic said he had "a fluid physical grace and an inner radiance that sometimes makes it seem as if he's lit from within".

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

How could Fiyero not succumb to her inner radiance?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

St. John said these words as he pronounced his sermons, with a quiet, deep voice; with an unflushed cheek, and a coruscating radiance of glance.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë