Definition of BRIGHTNESS (original) (raw)
1
a
: the quality or state of being bright
also : an instance of such a quality or state
Synonyms of brightness
Examples of brightness in a Sentence
the brightness of the sunshine made me squint after an afternoon spent in a darkened movie theater
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Final thoughts For context, my backyard sky falls somewhere between 7 and 8 on the Bortle scale, a nine-level system used by astronomers to classify the brightness of the night sky and the impact of light pollution. —
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026 And Rubin will discover much more than TNOs, too, by virtue of its emphasis on time-domain astronomy—the study of objects such as asteroids, novae, supernovae and active galaxies that move and vary in brightness. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026 But even with this 100-fold boost in brightness, LAP1-B is so dim that neither the JWST nor Hubble could detect its stellar continuum—the steady background light of its stars. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026 Kristen finds her way back to her natural vivacity, but the brightness burns differently. —Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for brightness
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of brightness was before the 12th century
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Brightness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brightness. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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