translucent

American  

[trans-loo-suhnt, tranz-] / trænsˈlu sənt, trænz- /

adjective

1. 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.

   Antonyms:

   opaque

2. easily understandable; lucid.

   a translucent explication.

3. clear; transparent.

   translucent seawater.

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translucent British  

/ trænzˈluːsənt /

adjective

1. allowing light to pass through partially or diffusely; semitransparent

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translucent Scientific  

/ trăns-lo̅o̅′sənt /

1. Allowing radiation (most commonly light) to pass through, but causing diffusion. Frosted glass, for example, is translucent to visible light.

2. Compare transparent

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Related Words

See transparent.

Other Word Forms

• subtranslucence noun
• subtranslucency noun
• subtranslucent adjective
• translucence noun
• translucency noun
• translucently adverb

Etymology

Origin of translucent

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

Explanation

A translucent material lets light pass through, but objects on the other side can't be seen clearly. Think Shrinky Dinks or stained glass. In contrast, a transparent material allows you to clearly see the objects on the other side. Frosted glass is translucent, and regular glass is transparent. But opaque glass doesn't let any light through at all, and so you can't see through it. The adjective translucent is from the Latin translucens, from translucere "to shine through."

Example Sentences

Under strong light, however, they become translucent with a grayish green hue.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

This is not the moment to rush; most good soups start quietly, with onions turning translucent or spices warming until they smell like themselves.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

“This very rare geologic feature of translucent petroleum has been filtered by nature,” the sign read.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

Siphonophores -- largely translucent creatures in fanciful shapes resembling toddlers' drawings -- glowed as they drifted by, and silver, fingernail-sized fish skittered out of the sub's wake.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

And as she gazed, the image of a city seemed to form itself behind the veils and streams of translucent color: towers and domes, honey-colored temples and colonnades, broad boulevards and sunlit parkland.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• crystalline
• luminous
• see-through