Definition of LUCID

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 collection, in a lucid translation by Lucy North, is a reissue from 1996, but the stories themselves come from the 1960s. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: The Union of Death and Desire," 22 Nov. 2018 Her lucid, moody figure paintings, on rough burlap or found fabrics, mix realism and fiction in unexpected ways—one just made its L.A. debut in Sadie Coles’s booth at Frieze. — Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, "As Frieze Los Angeles Opens, Three Young California Artists Are Reinventing What Figurative Painting Can Be," 15 Feb. 2019 If these are not reasons enough to pick up The Female Persuasion, at least do so for Meg Wolitzer’s sharp, lucid prose. — Vox Staff, Vox, "The most thought-provoking books the Vox staff read in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 The battle scenes, in all their complexity, are lucid. — Joseph Epstein, WSJ, "History Made by Men, Not Gods," 9 Nov. 2018 Lauren’s unwavering consistency to his vision has yielded one of the most powerful and lucid brands ever but is what leaves him prey to criticism. — Harper's BAZAAR, "American Dream: Ralph Lauren Celebrates 50 Years," 6 Sep. 2018 Spending the night alone with no extra oxygen or food, Hall was discovered the next day undressed and barely lucid by American guide Daniel Mazur. — Brynn Mannino, Woman's Day, "9 Miraculous Rescues," 4 Nov. 2010 Sedation takes hours to wear off and, although appearing to be lucid, patients are frequently not able to retain pertinent information. — BostonGlobe.com, "Letters to the editor of the Boston Globe Magazine," 1 June 2018 Yet the latest epic from Marvel Comics is a lucid demonstration of nonquantum entanglement. — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Review: A Sequel With Wings," 5 July 2018

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.