as in brightness
the quality or state of having or giving off light
the exceptional effulgence of the harvest moon is always a striking sight
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Recent Examples of effulgence
Though the Star of Bethlehem has sunk, yet its sacred effulgence beams forth periodically, again and again, and a universe is filled with joy in honor of the Great Redeemer.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 23 Dec. 2024
Maggie Rogers paired her of-the-moment shag with natural notes—bare skin, freckles, grass—as elsewhere, Elle Fanning enjoyed the lit effects of golden hour, which took her complexion and blanched blonde to new levels of effulgence.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 10 July 2022
Absent from Van Noten’s three-decade career are stories of bankruptcy, strife, irresponsibility, overleverage, overexpansion, overspending or unhinged, dangerous effulgence.
—Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2017
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 23 Dec. 2024
Maggie Rogers paired her of-the-moment shag with natural notes—bare skin, freckles, grass—as elsewhere, Elle Fanning enjoyed the lit effects of golden hour, which took her complexion and blanched blonde to new levels of effulgence.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 10 July 2022
Absent from Van Noten’s three-decade career are stories of bankruptcy, strife, irresponsibility, overleverage, overexpansion, overspending or unhinged, dangerous effulgence.
—Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effulgence
Noun
-
Despite the full moon's brightness, the solar activity could still create a stunning auroral display.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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Sprigs of ‘Nagami’ semidwarf kumquats add brightness.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
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Family circles will have wrapped themselves in the holy pleasures of the great occasion, and everywhere the grand old holiday will have been introduced with all the majesty and brilliancy which clings around the hallowed name of Christmas.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American-Statesman,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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With Venus entering your sign on August 25, your magnetism is undeniable, but the Three of Pentacles reminds you that your brilliance shines brighter when it’s shared.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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It was designed for brilliance.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There were a lot of bold colors in the collections, transparency and lightness.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
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The building has kept some of this lightness of feeling all these years later, smallish and airy, its multiple exits and entrances providing the possibility of spontaneity.—
Katie da Cunha Lewin
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effulgence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effulgence. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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