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

Apple already tunes its IPS panels to draw more color coverage and brightness out of them than usual, so imagine what OLED could do married to the MacBook Air’s color coverage and its True Tone color-temperature-adjustment feature. —PCMAG, 12 Mar. 2025

There's a lot of brightness, but there's a lot of darkness. —Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2025

But the light is so powerful that the vessels crack, scattering this brightness across the universe. —Luna Adler, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025

The brightness of this ring around the Earth depends on global weather conditions and the amount of dust suspended in the air. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for brightness

• lightness
• rightness
• tightness
• whiteness
• politeness
• uprightness

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