incandescent

1 of 2

adjective

in·​can·​des·​cent ˌin-kən-ˈde-sᵊnt How to pronounce incandescent (audio)
 also  -(ˌ)kan-
1
a
: white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat
b
: strikingly bright, radiant, or clear
c
: marked by brilliance especially of expression
incandescent wit
d
: characterized by glowing zeal : ardent
incandescent affection
2
a
: of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence
b
: producing light by incandescence
incandescently adverb

incandescent

2 of 2

noun

Did you know?

Incandescent first lit up the English language toward the end of the 18th century, at a time when scientific experiments involving heat and light were being conducted on an increasingly frequent basis. An object that glowed at a high temperature (such as a piece of coal) was incandescent. By the mid-1800s, the incandescent lamp—aka the lightbulb—had been invented; it contains a filament which gives off light when heated by an electric current. Incandescent is the modern offspring of a much older parent, the Latin verb candēre, meaning "to glow." Centuries earlier, the word for another source of light, candle, was also derived from candēre.

Examples of incandescent in a Sentence

Adjective sitting in darkness, except for the incandescent coals of our campfire a speaker incandescent with righteous anger over the treatment of the refugees
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Accepting the award on her behalf, Ruben managed to make more than one attendee teary-eyed with the incandescent passion for Isabel which is very much still a part of him. Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2024 Grandin Road Pre-Lit Pencil Porch Tree Grandin Road Pre-Lit Porch Pencil Tree $429 $343 Grandin Road Another one of our top picks is this slim tree with incandescent lights, designed for outdoor use. Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
Jacques-Louis David’s incandescent portrait of Antoine and Marie-Anne Lavoisier, at the Met. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 Imagine your natural hair color bathed in the incandescent glow of a super moon. Maisie Bovingdon, refinery29.com, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incandescent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incandescent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

probably from French, from Latin incandescent-, incandescens, present participle of incandescere to become hot, from in- + candescere to become hot, from candēre to glow — more at candid entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incandescent was in 1794

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near incandescent

Cite this Entry

“Incandescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incandescent. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

incandescent

1 of 2 adjective
in·​can·​des·​cent ˌin-kən-ˈdes-ᵊnt How to pronounce incandescent (audio)
: white or glowing with great heat
incandescently adverb

incandescent

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on incandescent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!