luculent

adjective

lu·​cu·​lent ˈlü-kyə-lənt 

: clear in thought or expression : lucid

the interviewee was luculent and personable

luculently adverb

Did you know?

To shed light on the meaning of luculent, one need only look at its root—the Latin noun lux, meaning "light." The English word first appeared in the 15th century with the meaning "brilliant" or "shining," as in "a luculent flame." By the mid-16th century, the "clear in thought or expression" sense had begun to shine, and by that century's end another sense was flickering with the meaning "illustrious" or "resplendent," as in Ben Jonson's 1599 description of a "most debonair and luculent lady." Both the "illustrious" and the "emitting light" senses have fallen out of use, and even the "clear" sense is now rare. Today's writers seem to prefer another lux descendant with a similar meaning: lucid.

Synonyms

• obvious
• apparent
• unmistakable
• evident
• straightforward
• clear
• distinct

Examples of luculent in a Sentence

the district attorney's brilliant, luculent summation sealed the case for the prosecution

Word History

Etymology

Latin luculentus, from luc-, lux light

First Known Use

circa 1548, in the meaning defined above

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