crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line ˈkri-stə-lən 

 also  -ˌlīn,

-ˌlēn

1

: resembling crystal: such as

a

: strikingly clear or sparkling

crystalline air

a crystalline lake

b

: clear-cut

2

: made of crystal : composed of crystals

3

: constituting or relating to a crystal

crystallinity

ˌkri-stə-ˈli-nə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• clear
• crystal
• crystal clear
• limpid
• liquid
• lucent
• pellucid
• see-through
• transparent

Examples of crystalline in a Sentence

we could see fish swimming beneath the crystalline ice of the frozen lake

Recent Examples on the Web

The architectural puzzles of the first entry already felt crystalline; the minimalist aesthetic was already fully formed. —Lewis Gordon, The Verge, 9 Dec. 2024

Wedges and pumps alike got curvy makeovers for spring at the likes of Tory Burch, where block heels bulged into bows, and Dries Van Noten, where vamps draped over curved, crystalline wedges. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Dec. 2024

Instead, the best winemakers in the area shoot for precision, for crystalline definition, and for an amplification of harmony rather than an exaggeration of individual elements. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Sage Stephens/Palau Visitors Authority Fewer than a dozen liveaboard vessels are permitted to cruise paradisiacal Palau, a string of green jewels set in the crystalline waters of the western Pacific. —Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cristallin, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin crystallinus, borrowed from Greek krystállinos, from krýstallos "clear ice, crystal entry 1" + -inos -ine entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crystalline

• crystalline lens

Kids Definition

crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line ˈkris-tə-lən 

1

: clear or sparkling like crystal

crystalline drops of honey

2

: made of crystal or crystals

3

: of or relating to a crystal

Medical Definition

crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line

ˈkris-tə-lən also -ˌlīn, -ˌlēn

1

: composed of or resembling crystals

2

a

: formed by crystallization : having regular arrangement of the atoms in a space lattice see amorphous sense 2

b

: having the internal structure though not necessarily the external form of a crystal

granite is only crystalline, while quartz crystal is perfectly crystallized

crystallinity

ˌkris-tə-ˈlin-ət-ē 

noun

plural crystallinities