lucid

adjective

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lu·cid | \ ˈlü-səd

Definition of lucid

1a : suffused with light : luminous

b : translucent snorkeling in the lucid sea

2 : having full use of one's faculties : sane

3 : clear to the understanding : intelligible

Other Words from lucid Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Shine a Light on the Origin of Lucid Example Sentences Learn More about lucid

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Choose the Right Synonym for lucid

clear, perspicuous, lucid mean quickly and easily understood. clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity. clear instructions perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear. a perspicuous style lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement. a lucid explanation

Shine a Light on the Origin of Lucid

It's easy enough to shed some light on the origins of lucid: it derives—via the Latin adjective lucidus, meaning "shining"—from the Latin verb lucēre, meaning "to shine." Lucid has been used by English speakers since at least the late 16th century. Originally, it meant merely "filled with light" or "shining," but it has since developed extended senses describing someone whose mind is clear or something with a clear meaning. Other shining examples of lucēre descendants include translucent, lucent ("glowing"), and the somewhat rarer relucent ("reflecting light" or "shining"). Even the word light itself derives from the same ancient word that led to lucēre.

Examples of lucid in a Sentence

The stroke also set off a major crisis of presidential succession, as the debilitated and not entirely lucid president continued to cling to office and plan feebly for re-election. — Beverly Gage, New York Times Book Review, 13 Dec 2009 His lucid history of this grim subject is scrupulously accurate, so far as I am able to judge … — Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 8 Apr 2002 "You would like me to read to you?" "You would oblige me greatly by doing so, Dorothea," said Mr. Casaubon, with a shade more meekness than usual in his polite manner. "I am wakeful: my mind is remarkably lucid." — George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1872 The atmosphere, seen through a short space of half or three-quarters of a mile, was perfectly lucid, but at a greater distance all colours were blended into a most beautiful haze … — Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839 He is able to recognize his wife in his lucid moments. those lucid bands that spread across the arctic sky and are known as the northern lights

Recent Examples on the Web The next morning, Edna reappears without explanation, and appears to be perfectly lucid. — Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, "The Ending Of Relic Reveals A Monster We’d Rather Not Think About," 10 July 2020 The distrust between the two men has become palpable, but critics charge that what has not emerged from the government or its coronavirus cabinet is a lucid, definitive plan for containing the second wave of coronavirus. — Oren Liebermann, CNN, "The man who had coronavirus firmly in his grasp, only to see it slip through his fingers," 8 July 2020 As has often been true, the eyes of an outsider prove more lucid than those of natives. — Alfredo Corchado, Washington Post, "What’s gone wrong in America? An outsider explains.," 3 July 2020 Perhaps such ecstatic experiences are common to many forms of death as long as the mind remains lucid and is not dulled by opiates or other drugs given to alleviate pain. — Christof Koch, Scientific American, "What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about the Brain," 19 May 2020 And get there early to hear Zander’s lucid and elucidating introduction to the program, which will be like getting fit with a fresh pair of ears. — BostonGlobe.com, "Right about now seems like the perfect time to, say, sink to the very bottom of the sea. And what luck! Now," 18 Oct. 2019 Suggesting themes into lucid dreams is similar to posthypnotic suggestion. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Would You Wear This Glove to Hack Your Dreams?," 20 Apr. 2020 The presence of her grandfather, who was lucid in waves, was a precious gift. — Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, "No Olympics, no school, no travel, no celebrations: The coronavirus has robbed us all," 25 Mar. 2020 Ray Bergman’s Trout is great, in part, because of its paragraph upon paragraph of unbroken, lucid prose. — Outdoor Life, "Four essential books all about trout fishing," 30 Apr. 2020

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