Meanings
nounrefractive index (plural refractive indices)
plural refractive indices
- natural sciencesThe ratio of the speed of light in air or vacuum to that in another medium.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that in a medium
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese 折射率
- 折射率 (zhéshèlǜ)ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Danish brydningsindeks
- brydningsindeksratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Dutch brekingsindex
- brekingsindexratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Finnish taitekerroin
- taitekerroinratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
French indice de réfraction
- indice de réfractionratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
German Brechzahl, Brechungsindex
- Brechzahlratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
- Brechungsindexratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Indonesian indeks bias, indeks refraksi
- indeks biasratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
- indeks refraksiratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Japanese 屈折率
- 屈折率 (kussetsuritsu)ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Māori taupū hakoko
- taupū hakokoratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Polish współczynnik załamania
- współczynnik załamaniaratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Romanian indice de refracție
- indice de refracțieratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Scottish Gaelic ìre de sholas-bhriseadh
- ìre de sholas-bhriseadhratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Spanish índice de refracción
- índice de refracciónratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Swedish brytningsindex
- brytningsindexratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Vietnamese chiết suất
- chiết suấtratio of the speed of light in vacuum to another medium
Cite this entry
APA
refractive index. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refractive%20index
MLA
“refractive index.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refractive%20index. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “refractive index,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refractive%20index.
Source: refractive index on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.