Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
briefcase
briefing
brier (1)
brier (2)
Brig.
brig
Brig. Gen.
brigade
brigadier general
brigalow
brigand
brigandine
brigantine
bright
bright-eyed
bright lights
bright line
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "brightne..." in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

brightness

bright·ness [ brtnəss ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1. strength of light: the intensity of light reflected or emitted by something

2. smartness: the ability to think, learn, or respond quickly

3. cheerfulness: a cheerful and lively manner

4. promise of success: the promise of a successful outcome

5. clarity of sound: a clear crisp sound quality with little harmonic resonance

6. optics light emitted in particular direction: the intensity of light luminance emitted by an object in a particular direction, used by an observer to compare the luminance of other visible objects

7. physics attribute of color: the attribute of a color that makes its appearance comparable to a standard neutral such as black, gray, or white

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft