lucid

adjective

lu·​cid ˈlü-səd 

1

a

: 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

lucidly adverb

lucidness noun

Did you know?

Shine a Light on the Origin of Lucid

Lucid comes from the Latin verb lucere, meaning "to shine," which is reflected in its meanings "filled with light" or "shining." It also describes someone whose mind is clear or something with a clear meaning.

Synonyms

• beaming
• bedazzling
• bright
• brilliant
• candescent
• clear
• dazzling
• effulgent
• fulgent
• glowing
• incandescent
• lambent
• lucent
• luminous
• lustrous
• radiant
• refulgent
• sheeny
• shining
• shiny
• splendid

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

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

In sharp, lucid prose, Groff explores mystical elements and existential threats, as well as roiling internal conflict. —Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024

In a lawsuit filed in March 2023, Matus’ family alleges that Matus was lucid and communicative on the phone with his mother, Lisa, hours before his death. —Calmatters, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin lucidus, from lucēre — see lucent

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

lucid

adjective

lu·​cid ˈlü-səd 

1

a

: bright with light : luminous

b

: translucent sense 2

2

: having full use of one's reasoning ability : clear-minded

3

: clear to the understanding : plain

lucid writing

lucidity

lü-ˈsid-ət-ē

noun

lucidly

ˈlü-səd-lē

adverb

lucidness noun

Medical Definition

lucid

adjective

lu·​cid ˈlü-səd 

: having, showing, or characterized by an ability to think clearly and rationally

lucidity noun

plural lucidities