luminescence

noun

ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce luminescence (audio)
Definition of luminescencenext
as in glow
the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible we could see inside the cave even without a flashlight because of the luminescence coming from some of the fungus on the walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of luminescence The other triggers luminescence, causing materials to emit light in ultraviolet, visible or infrared wavelengths. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026 Regardless, string lights like these instantly create warmth, ambiance, and luminescence. — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026 Clients will book anytime during Oscars week, with some coming to see her the day before or even day of without risk of redness or downtime due to specific techniques that maximize luminescence without any downtime. — Margaux Lushing, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026 Fire Horse flavors are amped up with a double blessing and an extra oomph of chili heat and citrusy luminescence all served family-style to emphasize togetherness. — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for luminescence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminescence
  1. glow
  2. glare
  3. light
  4. gleam
  5. illumination
Noun
  • The cream creates a subtle glow and softens the skin, helping to smooth out those fine lines on the neck.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The familiar stars of Orion's Belt glisten to the right of McCollum's image, close to the glow of the Orion Nebula — one of the nearest major star forming regions to Earth.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of glow
Noun
  • The matte screen effectively fought off the glare from the open window in my row.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And the display has a matte finish, which reduces glare and doesn’t smudge easily.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of glare
Noun
  • Ukrainians are bracing for the bitterly cold months ahead as the recent escalation in Russian attacks targets the power grid to deny civilians heat, light and running water.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In this setup, the angle between the polarized light and the polarizer determines how much light can pass through the latter.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of light
Noun
  • The music resolves and smoke rolls into the gallery before the screen opens up and the real Endeavour gleams in the distance, spotlighted like a mirage in the dark.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The singer-songwriter’s seventh album is their wackiest and funniest to date, with a madcap gleam coursing through its synth-pop portraits of lovable weirdos and suburban dread.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam
Noun
  • And retained over 85% of their initial output after 2,000 hours of continuous operation under continuous illumination.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Although the moon reaches peak illumination shortly after midnight Eastern Time on October 26, the best viewing opportunity for the moonrise will be Sunday evening, October 25, when the moon appears low on the eastern horizon at dusk.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of illumination

Browse Nearby Words

luminesced
luminescence
luminescences
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Luminescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminescence. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on luminescence

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about luminescence

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All