Nontransparent

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not allowing light to pass through or not being open and honest about information or processes
2. Not permitting the passage of light and lacking clarity or openness in communication or procedures
3. Failing to transmit light and being ambiguous or deceptive regarding information or practices

Etymology: "Nontransparent" is a simple formation: the prefix "non-" attached to "transparent," meaning "not transparent." The prefix comes from English "non-," which traces back through Middle English "non" and Old English "nān" ("not one," literally "no one"), a word built from "ne" ("not") and "ān" ("one"). So the negating prefix carries an older sense of "not a single one" inside it. "Transparent" is the older half of the pair. It was borrowed into English from Medieval Latin "trānspārēns," which combined Latin "trāns" ("through") with "pārēre" ("to appear"), so the literal sense is "showing through." English uses the adjective in both its physical sense, of light passing through, and its figurative sense, of openness about information or processes. The compound inherits both senses. Its literal meaning is simply "not letting light through," while its figurative meaning, "not open or honest about information or processes," follows the same metaphorical path as "transparent" itself.

Synonyms: opaque, cloudy

Antonyms: transparent, clear