luminance

noun

lu·​mi·​nance ˈlü-mə-nən(t)s How to pronounce luminance (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being luminous
2
: the luminous intensity of a surface in a given direction per unit of projected area

Examples of luminance in a Sentence

the emerald had a pure, icy green luminance the landscapes of the French painter Claude Lorraine have a unique luminance that no other artist has quite captured
Recent Examples on the Web With high luminance, linkability, and easy installation, Commercial Electric’s Integrated Heavy Duty Utility LED Shop Light is our pick for the best overhead garage lighting. Jack Byram, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2023 Opt for soft white bulbs with a low color temperature and luminance. Gina Mayfield, Dallas News, 13 Sep. 2023 Our final test with the Klein colorimeter measures the screen's contrast ratio, meaning the difference in luminance between the brightest white and darkest black that a monitor can produce. PCMAG, 15 Sep. 2023 According to the specs, the monitor offers a QD-OLED panel featuring 2,000 nits peak luminance and 4,000,000:1 contrast, while meeting the requirements for Dolby Vision mastering. Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2023 In the behavioral study, researchers showed subjects briefly two light patterns made up of alternating strips of black and white lines, called luminance gratings. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2022 And micro-contrast enhances the distinction between areas that are very slightly different in their luminance values. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2016 Colors have properties like luminance, chroma and saturation, all of which affect their appearance. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2023 The program predicts how people will perceive a compressed image on a screen by measuring three factors: luminance masking (distortion visibility depending on an image’s brightness), contrast masking (distortion visibility depending on an image’s texture), and structural similarity. IEEE Spectrum, 16 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'luminance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of luminance was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near luminance

Cite this Entry

“Luminance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminance. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

luminance

noun
lu·​mi·​nance ˈlü-mə-nən(t)s How to pronounce luminance (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being luminous
2
: the luminous intensity of a surface in a given direction per unit of projected area

More from Merriam-Webster on luminance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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