noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈɹeɪdi.əns/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:R EY1 D IY2 AH0 N S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:R EY1 D Y AH0 N S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The quality or state of being radiant; shining, bright or splendid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The flux of radiation emitted per unit solid angle in a given direction by a unit area of a source.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
an attractive combination of good health and happiness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the radiance of her countenance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: happiness, felicity, good health, healthiness
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English radiant Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English radiance From radiant + -ance.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
փայլ
(pʻayl)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Bulgarian:
сияние
(sijanie)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Chinese Mandarin:
輻射 /辐射
(fúshè)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Chinese Mandarin:
光輝 /光辉
(guānghuī)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Chinese Mandarin:
閃耀 /闪耀
(shǎnyào)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Dutch:
uitstraling
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Finnish:
säteily
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Finnish:
säteilevyys
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
French:
éclat
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
German:
Glanz
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
German:
Strahlen
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
German:
Leuchten
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Icelandic:
ljómi
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Italian:
radianza
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Japanese:
輝き
(kagayaki)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Javanese:
sunar
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Korean:
광채
(gwangchae)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Latin:
iubar
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Latin:
candor
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Norwegian:
stråleglans
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Old English:
lēoma
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Polish:
blask
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Portuguese:
radiância
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Romanian:
strălucire
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Romanian:
lucire
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Romanian:
iradiere
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Russian:
сия́ние
(sijánije)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Russian:
блеск
(blesk)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Spanish:
resplandor
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Spanish:
brillo
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Spanish:
fulgor
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Ukrainian:
ся́йво
(sjájvo)
— the quality of being radiant, shining, bright or splendid
Chinese Mandarin:
輻射亮度 /辐射亮度
(fúshè liàngdù)
— physical quantity in radiometry
Chinese Mandarin:
輻亮度 /辐亮度
(fúliàngdù)
— physical quantity in radiometry
Chinese Mandarin:
輻射率 /辐射率
(fúshèlǜ)
— physical quantity in radiometry
Finnish:
radianssi
— physical quantity in radiometry
Finnish:
säteilytiheys
— physical quantity in radiometry
French:
radiance
— physical quantity in radiometry
German:
Radianz
— physical quantity in radiometry
German:
Strahldichte
— physical quantity in radiometry
Javanese:
sunar
— physical quantity in radiometry
Polish:
radiancja
— physical quantity in radiometry
Portuguese:
radiância
— physical quantity in radiometry
Romanian:
radianță
— physical quantity in radiometry
Romanian:
emitanță
— physical quantity in radiometry
Russian:
излуче́ние
(izlučénije)
— physical quantity in radiometry
Spanish:
radiancia
— physical quantity in radiometry
