Dictionary.com

translucent

[ trans-loo-suhnt, tranz- ]
/ trænsˈlu sənt, trænz- /
Save This Word!

adjective
permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible: Frosted window glass is translucent but not transparent.
easily understandable; lucid: a translucent explication.
clear; transparent: translucent seawater.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of translucent

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin trānslūcent- (stem of trānslūcēns ), present participle of trānslūcēre “to shine through”; see trans-, lucent

synonym study for translucent

1. See transparent.

OTHER WORDS FROM translucent

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH translucent

translucent , transparent (see synonym study at transparent)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use translucent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for translucent

translucent
/ (trænzˈluːsənt) /

adjective
allowing light to pass through partially or diffusely; semitransparent

Derived forms of translucent

translucence or translucency, nountranslucently, adverb

Word Origin for translucent

C16: from Latin translūcēre to shine through, from trans- + lūcēre to shine
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

Scientific definitions for translucent

translucent
[ trăns-lōōsənt ]

Allowing radiation (most commonly light) to pass through, but causing diffusion. Frosted glass, for example, is translucent to visible light. Compare transparent.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK