definition of the word transparent

From Mediaeval Latin transpārentis (genitive singular of transpārens, present participle of transpāreō)

• IPA: /trænsˈpærənt/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

transparent (comparative more transparent, superlative most transparent)

1. (of a material or object) See-through, clear; having the property that light passes through it almost undisturbed, such that one can see through it clearly.

   The waters of the lake were transparent until the factory dumped wastes there.

   • 1897, H. G. Wells, The Invisible Man, chapter 19,

     "You make the glass invisible by putting it into a liquid of nearly the same refractive index; a transparent thing becomes invisible if it is put in any medium of almost the same refractive index."

2. (of a system or organization) Open, public; having the property that theories and practices are publicly visible, thereby reducing the chance of corruption.
3. Obvious; readily apparent; easy to see or understand.

   His reasons for the decision were transparent.

• (see-through, clear): The term translucent is similar in meaning, but describes a material or object that diffuses light as it passes through. Looking through a transparent substance (such as a window), one can recognize objects on the other side. Looking through a translucent substance (such as frosted glass), one cannot see objects clearly, only light and shadow.

• (see-through, clear): see-through, diaphanous, clear, crystalline, limpid
• (obvious): apparent, clear, obvious

• (see-through, clear): opaque
• (obvious): obscure, opaque

• transparently
• nontransparent

• transparency
• transparently
• transparentness

• translucent

Definition from Wiktionary Content avaible with GNU Free Documentation License

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