brightness
The brightness of the screen made it hard to look at in the dark.
The screen's intensity was too strong to view comfortably in darkness.
The quality or state of being bright; radiance or luminosity.
The brightness of the stars in the night sky was breathtaking.
The stars' radiance in the sky was stunning.
Often used to describe light, colors, or abstract qualities like intelligence or cheerfulness.
The amount of light emitted or reflected from a surface.
The display's brightness setting was adjusted to 50%.
The screen's light intensity was set to half of its maximum.
In display technology, brightness is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m²).
Collocations
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'brightness' vs. 'luminance'
In technical fields like lighting or display engineering, 'brightness' is a subjective perception, while 'luminance' is an objective measurement of light intensity. Use 'brightness' for general contexts and 'luminance' for precise technical descriptions.
Gold Rule
Use 'brightness' for general light intensity
In everyday language, 'brightness' describes how much light something emits or reflects, e.g., 'The brightness of the sun hurts my eyes.'
Word Origin
From Middle English 'brightnesse,' from Old English 'beorht' (bright) + '-nes' (suffix forming abstract nouns). The '-ness' suffix is common in English to denote a state or quality.
Usage Notes
Brightness is often used metaphorically to describe qualities like intelligence ('a brightness of mind') or cheerfulness ('the brightness of her mood'). In technical contexts, it refers to measurable light output.