Luminous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈluːmɪnəs/

Definitions

1. Emitting or reflecting light; bright or shining, especially in the dark
2. Shining with its own light or reflecting brightness, particularly in dim conditions
3. Radiating or reflecting illumination in a way that makes something visible or brilliant

Etymology: Latin "lūmen" meant "light," and from it Romans formed "lūminōsus," "full of light." English took the adjective through Middle French "lumineus," which carried the same sense of brightness and radiance. The word's core idea has stayed remarkably steady: something luminous produces or reflects light rather than merely being lit. The Latin root "lūmen" also gave English "illumine" and "luminary," and its older cousin appears in "lamp," though that link runs through Greek rather than Latin. A luminary was once literally a celestial body such as the sun or moon, and only later came to mean a person who shines in a field of knowledge or achievement.

Synonyms: radiant, bright, shining, glowing, brilliant

Antonyms: dark, dim, dull, obscure, shadowy