transparent

[ trans-pair-uhnt, -par- ]

/ trænsˈpɛər ənt, -ˈpær- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR transparent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen.

admitting the passage of light through interstices.

so sheer as to permit light to pass through; diaphanous.

easily seen through, recognized, or detected: transparent excuses.

manifest; obvious: a story with a transparent plot.

open; frank; candid: the man's transparent earnestness.

Computers. (of a process or software) operating in such a way as to not be perceived by users.

Obsolete. shining through, as light.

Nearby words

transonic barrier, transp., transpacific, transpadane, transparency, transparent, transparent context, transparent dentin, transpeptidase, transpeptidation, transpersonal

Origin of transparent

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin trānspārent- (stem of trānspārēns) showing through (present participle of trānspārēre), equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + pārent- (stem of pārēns), present participle of pārēre to appear; see apparent

SYNONYMS FOR transparent

1 clear, pellucid, limpid, crystalline. T ransparent , translucent agree in describing material that light rays can pass through. That which is transparent allows objects to be seen clearly through it: Clear water is transparent. That which is translucent allows light to pass through, diffusing it, however, so that objects beyond are not distinctly seen: Ground glass is translucent.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR transparent ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR transparent

1 opaque.

6 secretive.

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Related forms

trans·par·ent·ly, adverbtrans·par·ent·ness, nounnon·trans·par·ent, adjectivenon·trans·par·ent·ly, adverb

non·trans·par·ent·ness, nounsub·trans·par·ent, adjectivesub·trans·par·ent·ly, adverbsub·trans·par·ent·ness, nounun·trans·par·ent, adjectiveun·trans·par·ent·ly, adverbun·trans·par·ent·ness, noun

Can be confused

translucent transparent (see synonym study at the current entry)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for transparent

And, thanks to a transparent hull, exploring the deep and spotting rare marine life is practically a cinch.
The Most Exciting New Hotels, Restaurants, and Submarines of 2014|Charlie Gilbert|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hopefully there will be a transparent accounting of what was introduced.
First Mike Brown, Then Eric Garner: Prosecutors Can’t Be Trusted to Try Cops|Sally Kohn|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course, spending in our elections is far from transparent.
How to Fight Corruption With Game Theory|Mark McKinnon|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And charters have repeatedly resisted attempts to make them transparent.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools|Zephyr Teachout|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Open and transparent transactional markets also make it easier for sex workers to share information and vet potential clients.
Sex Workers Don't Deserve to be Raped|Jillian Keenan|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And do you mean to tell me, Frank Amory, that you could be led into a snare by such a transparent piece of rascality as that?
Kitty's Conquest|Charles King
He looked down through the transparent nose of the copter at a town, now choked with trees that grew among the tumbled walls.
The Return|H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire
It seems to consist of a very fine plaster and a transparent glue.
A History of Art in Ancient Egypt, Vol. II (of 2)|Georges Perrot
I never remember at home, even in the height of summer, to have seen any so transparent, for here it was a perfect web of light.
The Development of the Feeling for Nature in the Middle Ages and Modern Times|Alfred Biese
Soon out of the darkness began to appear streams of smoke or transparent threads.
Beasts, Men and Gods|Ferdinand Ossendowski

British Dictionary definitions for transparent

transparent

/ (trænsˈpærənt, -ˈpɛər-) /

adjective

permitting the uninterrupted passage of light; cleara window is transparent

easy to see through, understand, or recognize; obvious

(of a substance or object) permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiationa substance that is transparent to X-rays

candid, open, or frank

Derived Forms

transparently, adverbtransparentness, noun

Word Origin for transparent

C15: from Medieval Latin transpārēre to show through, from Latin trans- + pārēre to appear

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