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: 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
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
Unlike an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, where the whiskey truly takes center stage, Branch Water is a lighter thanks to the brightness of the grapefruit, the refreshingness of the cucumber, and sparkling water that mellows everything out without masking the spirit altogether.
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Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
Both of those latter cocktails are pure brightness, while the vanilla from the aged rum and the spice from the bitters in the Old Cuban moves it from poolside to inside as if under a slowly twisting ceiling fan in a smoky room, long narrow beams of light through the wooden shutters.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
Exfoliation can be helpful for maintaining skin texture and brightness year-round.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 5 June 2026
The dressing, based on nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce, has just enough fish sauce to give it depth and pungency without overpowering the brightness of the lime.
—Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brightness
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Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
Both of those latter cocktails are pure brightness, while the vanilla from the aged rum and the spice from the bitters in the Old Cuban moves it from poolside to inside as if under a slowly twisting ceiling fan in a smoky room, long narrow beams of light through the wooden shutters.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
Exfoliation can be helpful for maintaining skin texture and brightness year-round.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 5 June 2026
The dressing, based on nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce, has just enough fish sauce to give it depth and pungency without overpowering the brightness of the lime.
—Emily Weinstein, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brightness
Cite this Entry
“Brightness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brightness. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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