refractive
Americanadjective
-
of or concerned with refraction
-
(of a material or substance) capable of causing refraction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of refractive
First recorded in 1665–75, refractive is from the Late Latin word refrāctīvus (of pronouns) reflexive. See refract, -ive
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.
By carefully arranging materials with different shapes and refractive indexes, scientists can block, guide, or strengthen selected wavelengths of light.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
There is a strange, refractive moment at the end of this Fanatics commercial where Kendall Jenner bets on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl.
From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026
By comparing the patterns in forward- and back-scattered light, they could estimate each particle's size and its refractive index, which describes how strongly light bends or scatters when it passes through a material.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025
“If somehow that feedback is broken, for example, if kids are exposed to only a certain kind of wavelength, then that can mess up your refractive development.”
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2025
An optometer is an instrument for measuring refractive errors in eyes— in order that corrective lenses may be prescribed.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
