brilliance

noun

ˈbril-yən(t)s How to pronounce brilliance (audio)
Definition of brilliancenext
1
as in brilliancy
the quality or state of having or giving off light the brilliance of the flash from the camera was so intense that I was blinded for a moment afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in majesty
impressiveness of beauty on a large scale the brilliance of the palace is really quite staggering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brilliance Key dates this month Venus is about to blaze at peak brilliance, but this farewell performance comes with a challenge. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026 This is Lebanese cuisine in all its familiar, surprising brilliance. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026 Prince was indeed one of only one, a legendary artist and master musician with unprecedented style, faith, courage, dignity and brilliance. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026 Though the character is based on the author, the rest of this smart thriller’s story is fictionalized, a playful metatake that serves as both an ode to Highsmith’s brilliance and a twisty ride that’s sure to leave audiences surprised. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brilliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliance
  1. brilliancy
  2. majesty
  3. brightness
  4. glory
  5. lightness
  6. elegance
  7. magnificence
  8. nobility
Noun
  • Why this farewell is so low-key Ordinarily, the weeks between greatest elongation and greatest brilliancy are prime time for Venus watchers.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of brilliancy
Noun
  • Renowned for the endangered, conservation craft of Japanning (lacquerwork), Riddell has always found inspiration in the natural world’s sublimely lethal majesty.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The stunning majesty of Florida’s wildlife, lands and culture is on display in a new show at Winter Garden’s SOBO Art Gallery.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of majesty
Noun
  • It's also got a new Core Lighting Plus feature that adds vivid color to the screen, and the 1,000-nit peak-brightness display helps enhance contrast between the lightest and darkest tones.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
  • At this stage, astronomers can determine how the rock is spinning based upon changes in brightness.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brightness
Noun
  • When Rocco Forte took over in the early 2000s, the company returned the hotel to its original glory, with elegant suites decorated with prints and patterns and a restaurant serving impeccable Mediterranean cuisine by Fulvio Pierangelini.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The glory days of popular nameplates like the Lancer Evolution, Galant and Eclipse may have come and gone, but the Japanese automaker isn't done innovating.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of glory
Noun
  • Gloria somehow held the urgency of it all without ever losing her lightness.
    — Emma Watson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Yamaha Unlike the R15's Deltabox frame, Yamaha's gone with a steel tube diamond frame that promises lightness and flexibility.
    — Yamaha, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of lightness
Noun
  • Throughout the financial troubles that the couple face given Fyodor’s inability to deliver pages, Szumowska and Englert feature scatological humor that further dissolves any notions of elegance associated with 19th-century Europe.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • With Baggy Jeans Sometimes a baggy jean can veer into sloppy territory, but adding some Mary Janes gives a boost of elegance.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of elegance
Noun
  • The magnificence of the AI renaissance has blinded our society to its pernicious creep into the arts.
    — David Barber, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Upon being asked to bend the knee, Aegon delivers a fiery speech asserting his magnificence.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of magnificence
Noun
  • There’s a nobility in providing some fan service to help immerse Oasis devotees who could not afford the outrageous ticket prices to attend the tour.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Working as a portraitist, she was commissioned by university scholars and local nobility in Bologna, the Italian city where she was born.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nobility

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brilliance
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Cite this Entry

“Brilliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliance. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brilliance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brilliance

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