Meanings
nounradiance (countable and uncountable, plural radiances)
plural radiances
- countableuncountableThe quality or state of being radiant; shining, bright or splendid.
Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned.
1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC1 more example
You who live in radiance hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
1998, “Hard to Get”, performed by Rich Mullins - countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe flux of radiation emitted per unit solid angle in a given direction by a unit area of a source.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface
Broader
nounthe quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian сияние
- сияние (sijanie)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Chinese Mandarin 輻射 /辐射, 光輝 /光辉
- 輻射 /辐射 (fúshè)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- 光輝 /光辉 (guānghuī)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- 閃耀 /闪耀 (shǎnyào)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- 輻射亮度 /辐射亮度 (fúshè liàngdù)physical quantity in radiometry
- 輻亮度 /辐亮度 (fúliàngdù)physical quantity in radiometry
- 輻射率 /辐射率 (fúshèlǜ)physical quantity in radiometry
Dutch uitstraling
- uitstralingthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Finnish säteily, säteilevyys
- säteilythe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- säteilevyysthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radianssiphysical quantity in radiometry
- säteilytiheysphysical quantity in radiometry
French éclat, radiance
- éclatthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radiancephysical quantity in radiometry
German Glanz, Strahlen
- Glanzthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- Strahlenthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- Leuchtenthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- Radianzphysical quantity in radiometry
- Strahldichtephysical quantity in radiometry
Icelandic ljómi
- ljómithe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Italian radianza
- radianzathe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Japanese 輝き
- 輝き (kagayaki)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Korean 광채
- 광채 (gwangchae)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Latin iubar, candor
- iubarthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- candorthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Norwegian stråleglans
- stråleglansthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Polish blask, radiancja
- blaskthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radiancjaphysical quantity in radiometry
Portuguese radiância, radiância
- radiânciathe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radiânciaphysical quantity in radiometry
Romanian strălucire, lucire
- strălucirethe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- lucirethe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- iradierethe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radianțăphysical quantity in radiometry
- emitanțăphysical quantity in radiometry
Russian сия́ние, блеск
- сия́ние (sijánije)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- блеск (blesk)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- излуче́ние (izlučénije)physical quantity in radiometry
Spanish resplandor, brillo
- resplandorthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- brillothe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- fulgorthe quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
- radianciaphysical quantity in radiometry
Ukrainian ся́йво
- ся́йво (sjájvo)the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
radiance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radiance
MLA
“radiance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radiance. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “radiance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radiance.
Source: radiance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.