Lucent
adjective /ˈluːsənt/ — Glowing with a soft, clear inner light.
Definition
Giving off or reflecting a soft, clear light — luminous in a way that seems to come from within rather than reflected from outside; translucent and glowing.
Beyond the definition
Lucent is a quality of certain moments: dusk in certain cities, light through autumn leaves, a face in particular emotion. It is light that seems to live in the thing itself rather than arriving from elsewhere.
Origin & history
Latin 'lucens' — present participle of 'lucere' (to shine, to glow), from 'lux/lucis' (light). The same root as 'lucid,' 'translucent,' and 'illuminate.'
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The late-afternoon room was lucent — the white walls holding the last of the day's warmth.
She had a lucent quality in photographs — the camera found something the eye alone couldn't.
His prose was lucent: everything dark made clear.
Synonyms
luminous, glowing, shining, radiant, translucent
Antonyms
dark, opaque, dim
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
Glowing Talisman at Forest
An adult stands at the forest entrance, carrying a small, glowing talisman that seems to illuminate the space immediately in front of them.
The talisman is lucent. It gives off a soft, clear, and glowing light that seems to come from within the object itself, illuminating the entrance to the forest and creating a translucent, clear boundary in the deep shadow of the woods.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration