near-infrared

adjective

near-in·​fra·​red ˌnir-ˌin-frə-ˈred 

-(ˌ)frä-

: of or relating to the shorter wavelengths of radiation in the infrared spectrum and especially to those between 0.7 and 2.5 micrometers

Examples of near-infrared in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team created versions that glow blue, green, orange, red, and even near-infrared. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026

Between the first 10 hours and three days after birth, the team observed how the newborns’ brains reacted to German, Hebrew and French by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a noninvasive imaging technique that measures changes in blood oxygenation in the brain. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 May 2026

By seeing in near-infrared, NIRCam was able to capture this incredible view of part of the Whirlpool Galaxy. —Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 13 May 2026

Next, Claras uses near-infrared technology to sort materials by fiber type, then removes any hardware by hand. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for near-infrared

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead