crystalline

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/ˈkɹɪs.tə.lɪn//ˈkɹɪs.təˌlaɪn//ˈkɹɪs.təˌliːn/

adjective

Of, relating to, or composed of crystals.

Less commonScrabble 16

Meanings

crystalline1

adjectivecrystalline (comparative more crystalline, superlative most crystalline)

comparative more crystalline · superlative most crystalline · alternative obsolete chrystalline

  1. Of, relating to, or composed of crystals.

    Synonyms: crystal · Antonyms: noncrystalline, amorphous

  2. Resembling crystal in being clear and transparent

    There the roſy-finger'd Spring, by the liquid mirror of a cryſtalline pool, was attiring her fair daughters in ſeven-fold ornaments, while the love-whiſpering breezes ſtole kiſſes as they paſſed, and fanned their glowing beauties.

    1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iii

    Synonyms: crystal

  3. Pure.

    not in his favoured midfield role, either but as a false No 9: the sort of role Guardiola only hands to his chosen, crystalline few: Mario Götze at Bayern Munich (less successfully), Lionel Messi at Barcelona (a little more so).

    2020 August 7, Jonathan Liew, “Phil Foden stars to offer Manchester City glimpse of multiple futures”, in The Guardian
nouncrystalline (plural crystallines)

plural crystallines · alternative obsolete chrystalline

  1. obsoleteAny crystalline substance.
  2. obsoleteAniline.

Crystalline2

proper noun
  1. A female given name of rare usage.

    “I have an eight-month-old baby girl, Crystalline,” she [Yelonda Williams] said.

    1991 January 23, David White, “West End led by Williams”, in The Birmingham News, 103rd year, Birmingham, Ala., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5W, column 2
    2 more examples

    Mr. and Mrs. George W. Jordan of Evergreen announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystalline Myra, to First Lt. Robert H. Rhodes, United States Army, son of Mr. L. B. Rhodes and the late Mrs. Rhodes of Effingham.

    1954 January 10, “[Engagements and Marriages] Jordan - Rhodes”, in Florence Morning News, volume XXX, number 297, Florence, S.C., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5, column 1

    WACHTEL — Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Wachtel, Coeur d’Alene, are parents of a seven-pound, one-ounce daughter, Crystalline Jean, born Feb. 21.

    1978 March 14, “[Family focus] New arrivals”, in The Coeur d’Alene Press, volume 71, number 191, Coeur d’Alene, Ida., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5, column 2

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf, relating to, or composed of crystals.

Similar

adjectiveResembling crystal in being clear and transparent

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveconsisting of or containing or of the nature of crystals

adjectivedistinctly or sharply outlined

Similar

adjectivetransmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

crystalline · adjective, noun

  1. Ancient Greekκρυστάλλινος
  2. Latincrystallinus
  3. Old Frenchcristallin
  4. Middle Englishcristallyn
  5. Englishcrystalline

From Middle English cristallyn, cristallyne, from Old French cristallin and its etymon Latin crystallinus, from Ancient Greek κρυστάλλινος (krustállinos), from κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “crystal”) + -ῐνος (-ĭnos, adjectival suffix). By surface analysis, crystal + -ine.

Full word history & related roots →

Crystalline · proper noun

From crystalline.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian кристален
  • кристален (kristalen)relating to crystals
Catalan cristal·lí, cristal·lí
  • cristal·lírelating to crystals
  • cristal·líresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Chinese Mandarin 粼粼
  • 粼粼 (línlín)resembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Czech krystalický, křišťálový
  • krystalickýrelating to crystals
  • křišťálovýresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Danish krystallinsk
  • krystallinskrelating to crystals
Dutch kristallijn, kristalvormig
  • kristallijnrelating to crystals
  • kristalvormighaving a regular molecular structure
  • glashelderresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Finnish kiteinen, kristallinkirkas
  • kiteinenrelating to crystals
  • kristallinkirkasresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
French cristallin, cristallin
  • cristallinrelating to crystals
  • cristallinresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
German kristallin, kristallinisch
  • kristallinrelating to crystals
  • kristallinischrelating to crystals
  • kristallenrelating to crystals
  • Kristall-relating to crystals
  • kristallinhaving a regular molecular structure
  • kristallklarresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Greek κρυσταλλικός
  • κρυσταλλικός (krystallikós)relating to crystals
Hungarian kristályos
  • kristályosrelating to crystals
Irish criostalach, criostalta
  • criostalachrelating to crystals
  • criostaltarelating to crystals
Italian cristallino
  • cristallinorelating to crystals
Japanese 結晶性
  • 結晶性 (kesshousei)relating to crystals
Latvian kristālisks, kristāliska
  • kristālisksrelating to crystals
  • kristāliskarelating to crystals
Malay berhablur, habluran
  • berhablurrelating to crystals
  • habluranrelating to crystals
  • berkristalrelating to crystals
  • kristalinrelating to crystals
  • berhablurresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
  • habluranresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
  • berkristalresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
  • kristalinresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Norwegian Bokmål krystallinsk
  • krystallinskrelating to crystals
Persian بلورین, بلورین
  • بلورین (bolurin)relating to crystals
  • بلورین (bolurin)having a regular molecular structure
  • بلوری (boluri)having a regular molecular structure
  • بلورین (bolurin)resembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Polish krystaliczny, krystaliczny
  • krystalicznyrelating to crystals
  • krystalicznyresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Portuguese cristalino, cristalino
  • cristalinorelating to crystals
  • cristalinoresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Russian кристалли́ческий, хруста́льный
  • кристалли́ческий (kristallíčeskij)relating to crystals
  • хруста́льный (xrustálʹnyj)relating to crystals
  • криста́льно чи́стый (kristálʹno čístyj)resembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Spanish cristalino, cristalino
  • cristalinorelating to crystals
  • cristalinoresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Swedish kristallin, kristallinisk
  • kristallinrelating to crystals
  • kristalliniskrelating to crystals
Tagalog malakristal, malakristal
  • malakristalrelating to crystals
  • malakristalresembling crystal in being clear and transparent
Cite this entry
APA

crystalline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crystalline

MLA

“crystalline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crystalline. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crystalline,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crystalline.

Source: crystalline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.