brightness

noun bright·ness

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Examples: brightness in a Sentence

Definition of brightness

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 2c, ¹lightness 2, saturation 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 of brightness from the Web

Ramirez looked outside and saw the brightness of fire near the house next door on Kilpatrick Avenue.

— hannah leone, chicagotribune.com, "Woman dead, several taken to hospitals after 3 early morning fires," 14 July 2018
Romaine is the perfect vehicle to pick up the smokiness from the grill and the flavor is well balanced by the sweetness of the shallot bacon jam and the brightness of the buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

— Anchorage Daily News, "A revamped menu of comfort food at Rustic Goat restaurant," 5 July 2018
Using a method that basically blocks out the brightness of the new star, scientists were able to view the formation of the planet named PDS 70b, making its way through a massive disc of stellar dust.

— richard tribou, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Image captures moment planet is born, scientists say," 2 July 2018
However, as the cost comes down, cities are using more of it, increasing the overall brightness of urban areas.

— kevin davenport, idahostatesman, "Night shift: Animals are retreating into the darkness out of fear of humans," 28 June 2018
New: Vizio P-Series 4K LED TV (2018) - 55 Local Dimming Zones, HDR, up to 1000-nit brightness for $798.99 at Walmart (list price $999.99).

— ars staff, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Get an Ecovacs Deebot N79 robot vacuum for $160," 22 June 2018
Display: All displays will be FHD (1920x1080) anti-glare IPS with a maximum brightness of 300 nits, with the choice of either 60Hz or 144Hz refresh rates.

— melissa riofrio, PCWorld, "The Lenovo Legion Y730 gaming laptop has overclocking and RGB lighting to spare," 11 June 2018
That the darker parts of life were just as invigorating as the brightness, and that romance is based in yearning as much as love.

— meagan fredette, refinery29.com, "Alexander McQueen Documentary Showcases The Rise Of His Tragic Genius," 3 June 2018
Pregnancy can make your eyes more sensitive to brightness, particularly from the sun, so remember to bring sunglasses outside (or even in an especially sunny spot inside) to avoid discomfort. 2.

— nancy redd, Good Housekeeping, "6 Weird Body Changes That Can Happen During Pregnancy (That Are Totally Normal)," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brightness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of brightness

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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brightness Synonyms

Medical Dictionary

brightness

noun bright·ness \ ˈbrīt-nəs \

medical Definition of brightness

: 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 4a