English Explanatory Dictionary

lightness

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. the condition of being illuminated
  2. the relative whiteness or transparency of a colour
  3. The product of being illuminated.
noun
  1. The state of having little (or less) weight, or little force.
  2. Agility of movement.
  3. Freedom from worry.
  4. Levity, frivolity; inconsistency.

Pronunciation

/ˈlaɪtnəs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lightness.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-lightness.wav

Word forms

lightness lightnesses lightnesse

Etymology

From Middle English lightnes, lightnesse, from Old English līhtnes, lȳhtnys (“enlightening, illumination”), from Proto-West Germanic *liuhtinassī; equivalent to light (“to make bright, illuminate”, verb) + -ness (suffix forming nouns). Cognate with Old High German liuhtnissi (“illumination, enlightening”).

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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