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Definition of "lightness" []

  • The quality or condition of being illuminated. (noun)
  • The dimension of the color of an object by which the object appears to reflect or transmit more or less of the incident light, varying from black to white for surface colors and from black to colorless for transparent volume colors. (noun)
  • The state or quality of having little weight or force. (noun)
  • Ease or quickness of movement; agility. (noun)
  • Ease or cheerfulness in manner or style. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "lightness" in a sentence
  • "Extreme portability and lightness is what I am looking for."
  • "I left musing on whether being free of a long tradition and the weight of expectations helped confer a certain lightness on the performance; there was a quality of excitement about the whole evening, an idea that something really worthwhile had happened, that I don't always get at orchestral concerts."
  • "The nuts add a bit of a crunch and the rice krispies, while not dramatic themselves, add a certain lightness to the cookies."