transparency
Americannoun
plural
transparencies-
Also transparence. the quality or state of being transparent.
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something transparent, especially a picture, design, or the like on glass or some translucent substance, made visible by light shining through from behind.
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Photography.
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the proportion of the light that is passed through the emulsion on an area of a photographic image.
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a photographic print on a clear base for viewing by transmitted light.
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noun
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Also called: transparence. the state of being transparent
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Also called: slide. a positive photograph on a transparent base, usually mounted in a frame or between glass plates. It can be viewed by means of a slide projector
Usage
What does transparency mean? Transparency is the quality or state of being transparent. It is perhaps most commonly used in a figurative way to refer to a state in which things are free from any attempt to hide something, as in The administration has been praised for its transparency with the press. It can also be used to mean a state in which something is literally transparent—able to be seen through or allowing light to pass through clearly. A clear glass window is transparent in this way. However, something doesn’t need to be completely clear to be considered transparent. A fine mesh that is able to be seen through could be described as transparent. The word translucence (the noun form of the adjective translucent) is sometimes used as a synonym for transparency. In technical contexts, though, describing something as translucent means that it allows light to pass through but diffuses it so that whatever is on the other side cannot be fully seen. For example, a frosted glass window could be said to be translucent but not transparent (you can see what’s on the other side, but not clearly). Still, in everyday conversation, these literal senses of the words are typically used to mean the same thing. Another figurative sense of transparency refers to the state of being obvious or easy to understand or figure out, as in I always appreciate transparency in instructions—the simpler the better. Transparency can also refer to something that is transparent. More specifically, it’s used to refer to a clear sheet (also called a slide) featuring an image that can be projected through the use of a slide projector. Example: Consumer advocates have been pushing the company to increase transparency around its supply chain.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transparency
From the Medieval Latin word trānspārentia, dating back to 1585–95. See transparent, -ency
Explanation
The condition of being clear or transparent is transparency. The transparency of your car's windshield might be affected by how badly your car needs to be washed. Something has transparency if you can see through it, like the ice on the top of a frozen lake or a glass. Transparency can also refer to a figurative kind of clearness or openness, which is what people mean when they talk about "government transparency." If you can see clearly, without anything being hidden, what you're looking at (or through) has transparency. Its root is the Latin word transparentem, which means "see light through."
Vocabulary lists containing transparency
Rocks and Minerals - Introductory
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What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
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This Week in Words: June 22–28, 2019
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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.
The acquisition signals a sharp change of course for Everlane, which has centered itself on sustainability and transparency.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
For the sake of women’s health, it’s time for transparency.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
In a statement this month which suggests full transparency might yet take some time, it said: "The appellant will be granted access to the file, subject to conditions and requirements yet to be defined."
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Powell opted to continue as a Fed governor after his chairmanship ended Friday for an “undetermined period” until the investigation is “well and truly over with transparency and finality.”
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Yet those charged with mounting the American offense in space saw strength in countering the Russian value of secrecy with its opposites— transparency, democracy, equality—and not a simulacrum.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
