brightness

noun

bright·​ness ˈbrīt-nəs 

1

a

: the quality or state of being bright

also : an instance of such a quality or state

b

: luminance

2

: the attribute of light-source colors by which emitted light is ordered continuously from light to dark in correlation with its intensity compare hue sense 2c, lightness entry 1 sense 2a, saturation sense 4

Synonyms

• brilliance
• brilliancy
• candor
• dazzle
• effulgence
• illumination
• lambency
• lightness
• luminance
• luminosity
• luminousness
• luster
• lustre
• lustrousness
• radiance
• refulgence
• splendor

Examples of brightness in a Sentence

the brightness of the sunshine made me squint after an afternoon spent in a darkened movie theater

Recent Examples on the Web

Again, these are all stock settings, and doing things like lowering graphical sliders, playing 2D/indie games/retro emulators exclusively and adjusting settings like screen brightness, resolution and refresh rate will all extend the battery life of this device. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

Using this technique, Distance can separate the light fields into your left and right eyes, while also creating an additional optical layer underneath that creates a high brightness. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024

Both clock in at 460 ppi, both are OLED with inky blacks and the maximum brightness to properly handle Dolby Vision HDR. —Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2024

Understanding more about habitable planets The Landolt mission is not just one of a characterizing the brightness of stars. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

brightness

noun

bright·​ness ˈbrīt-nəs 

: the one of the three psychological dimensions of color perception by which visual stimuli are ordered continuously from light to dark and which is correlated with light intensity compare hue, saturation sense 4a