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

• crystal
• transparent
• liquid
• clear

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 crystalline knowledge runs deep. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025

Opal, which is easily the most mystical, with its whimsical and cloud-like white, blue, and iridescent green swirls of color, is the crystalline form of silica and mineraloid found in rocks. —Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 9 Oct. 2025

All crew, all crew — Below Deck Med is pulling up to port for another summer cruising the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean coast. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025

What has been lost (or sacrificed) is the continuous thrill-ride ecstasy of No One, where short, crystalline paragraphs propel the reader ever onward. —Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for crystalline

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

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