Crystalline
adjective /ˈkrɪs.tə.laɪn/ — Having perfect clarity or transparency
Definition
Clear as crystal — transparently clear, or having the regular, perfect structure of a crystal. Used both literally and figuratively for things of exceptional purity and clarity.
Beyond the definition
The quality of things that have been made completely transparent. Crystalline clarity is the state of having no opacity left — in thought, in water, in prose.
Origin & history
From Greek 'krystallos' (ice, crystal) — from 'kryos' (cold). Originally meant resembling ice. Ice was the model of clarity before glass was perfected.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her crystalline prose left nowhere to hide and nothing to interpret away.
The mountain air was crystalline — cold and clear and startlingly real.
Some minds work crystalline, cutting straight through to the essential.
Synonyms
clear, transparent, pellucid, limpid, lucid
Antonyms
murky, opaque, clouded, obscure
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Observatory view of planetary systems
An adult uses a telescope at night while a solar-system mobile hangs above, showing planets on curved wires.
The clear, regular structure of the planetary mobile and the transparency of the night sky have a crystalline quality. It represents an exceptional purity of order and structure, where the celestial mechanics are mapped with perfect, crystalline clarity.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration