brilliance

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈbrɪljəns/ UK /ˈbrɪljəns/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
intense brightness of light; exceptional talent or splendor

The diamond's brilliance dazzled everyone in the room.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · intense brightness of... radiance splendor luminosity genius brightness magnificence virtuosity

Opposites

dullness dimness mediocrity obscurity

Word family

Related forms brilliant brilliancy

Etymology

From brilliant (via French brillant, present participle of briller, 'to shine', from Italian brillare) + the suffix -ance. The Italian verb is perhaps from Latin beryllus ('beryl').

briller French beryllus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

# brilliance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈbrɪljəns
**IPA (UK):** ˈbrɪljəns

## Meanings
1. intense brightness of light; exceptional talent or splendor

## Examples
- The diamond's brilliance dazzled everyone in the room.

## Synonyms
- radiance
- splendor
- luminosity
- genius
- brightness
- magnificence
- virtuosity

## Antonyms
- dullness
- dimness
- mediocrity
- obscurity

## Related Forms
- brilliant
- brilliancy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: briller
- Root: beryllus

## Etymology
From brilliant (via French brillant, present participle of briller, 'to shine', from Italian brillare) + the suffix -ance. The Italian verb is perhaps from Latin beryllus ('beryl').

## AI Etymology
Brilliance comes from brilliant (via French brillant, present participle of briller, 'to shine', from Italian brillare) + the suffix -ance. The Italian verb is perhaps from Latin beryllus ('beryl'). The historical trail runs through briller in French and beryllus in Latin. Morphologically, brilliance is transparent: it draws on brilliant (via French brillant, present participle of briller, 'to shine', from Italian brillare) + the suffix -ance. Used as a noun, brilliance now means "intense brightness of light; exceptional talent or splendor", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as brilliant and brilliancy. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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brilliance

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