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
- nontransparence noun
- nontransparency noun
Etymology
Origin of transparency
From the Medieval Latin word trānspārentia, dating back to 1585–95. See transparent, -ency
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 company has also faced scrutiny over reduced financial transparency following a reorganization of its reporting segments this year.
From Barron's
The SocGen team, led by Pierre Bergeron, also worried about a lack of transparency on asset quality, “making it harder to detect early warning signs of stress.”
From MarketWatch
It said it would introduce new rules to tackle fraud and a lack of transparency in funeral pricing to "reduce the burden of funerals on the masses".
From BBC
After the Fed's last rate-setting meeting in March, Powell vowed he would not leave his post as a Fed governor "until the investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality."
From Barron's
Economists have recently called for more transparency around how individual members of the RBA board vote on interest rates and the range of views underpinning those decisions.
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.
