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 Test your knowledge of summer splurges, basketball brilliance and more in this week's American Culture Quiz. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 And pure math is seen by humans as like the most exalted exhibition of intelligence and brilliance. — Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026 For instance, this option from Oak and Luna features a naturally occurring silicon carbide now grown almost entirely in labs, brings a more responsible origin story alongside genuine brilliance, ranking second only to diamond in hardness. — Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 The brilliance of this recipe is how everything cooks together in a sheet pan, even the walnuts. — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 18 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
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • So, astronomers have come up with a compromise regarding the geometry of the sun's illumination angle on Venus' disk versus its distance from Earth to determine the time of Venus' greatest brilliancy.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of brilliancy
Noun
  • 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
  • While national parks may garner peak interest from outdoor enthusiasts, travelers shouldn’t discount the accessibility and majesty of national forests for late summer and fall exploration.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of majesty
Noun
  • These zones adjust their brightness according to the content on screen, dimming darker areas while maintaining brightness in highlights.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The brightness and satisfying variety in textures and flavors brought me back to life after a long day of dancing and eating.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of brightness
Noun
  • Owen Wolff, 21, was just a small child back then, watching his father play for MLS glory and represent America with the United States Men’s National Team.
    — PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • How an Iowa baker turned backyard raspberries into State Fair glory, with recipe.
    — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of glory
Noun
  • Its native structure, the twenty-two-episode season, has become a rarity in the industry, as has its default lightness.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Citruses, like bergamot and orange rind, give vanilla a bright and airy lightness, whereas aromatic notes, like lavender and geranium, smell like a garden growing around vanilla orchid vines.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of lightness
Noun
  • The composure of Amélie, and the decidedly wild and clownish manner in which she’s painted, can’t be tamed into order, elegance, or beauty.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The sellers decided to put the marble over the top and update it with elegance, without taking away what was originally here.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of elegance
Noun
  • Upon being asked to bend the knee, Aegon delivers a fiery speech asserting his magnificence.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Without Trail Ridge, the Okefenokee would cease to exist in its present magnificence.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of magnificence
Noun
  • He was branded a heretic, in part for preaching that the nobility were immoral and so was nobility itself.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Originally published in Esquire magazine, this group portrait of jazz nobility was photographed at 17 East 126th Street in New York City.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of nobility

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Cite this Entry

“Brilliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliance. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brilliance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brilliance

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