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lucid

adjective
lu·​cid | \ ˈlü-səd How to pronounce lucid (audio) \

Definition of lucid

1a : suffused with light : luminous
b : translucent snorkeling in the lucid sea
2 : having full use of one's faculties : sane
3 : clear to the understanding : intelligible
Other Words from lucid Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Shine a Light on the Origin of Lucid Example Sentences Learn More about lucid

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Other Words from lucid

lucidly adverb
lucidness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for lucid

clear, perspicuous, lucid mean quickly and easily understood. clear implies freedom from obscurity, ambiguity, or undue complexity. clear instructions perspicuous applies to a style that is simple and elegant as well as clear. a perspicuous style lucid suggests a clear logical coherence and evident order of arrangement. a lucid explanation

Shine a Light on the Origin of Lucid

It's easy enough to shed some light on the origins of lucid: it derives—via the Latin adjective lucidus, meaning "shining"—from the Latin verb lucēre, meaning "to shine." Lucid has been used by English speakers since at least the late 16th century. Originally, it meant merely "filled with light" or "shining," but it has since developed extended senses describing someone whose mind is clear or something with a clear meaning. Other shining examples of lucēre descendants include translucent, lucent ("glowing"), and the somewhat rarer relucent ("reflecting light" or "shining"). Even the word light itself derives from the same ancient word that led to lucēre.

Examples of lucid in a Sentence

The stroke also set off a major crisis of presidential succession, as the debilitated and not entirely lucid president continued to cling to office and plan feebly for re-election. — Beverly Gage, New York Times Book Review, 13 Dec 2009 His lucid history of this grim subject is scrupulously accurate, so far as I am able to judge … — Richard A. Posner, New Republic, 8 Apr 2002 "You would like me to read to you?" "You would oblige me greatly by doing so, Dorothea," said Mr. Casaubon, with a shade more meekness than usual in his polite manner. "I am wakeful: my mind is remarkably lucid." — George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1872 The atmosphere, seen through a short space of half or three-quarters of a mile, was perfectly lucid, but at a greater distance all colours were blended into a most beautiful haze … — Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839 He is able to recognize his wife in his lucid moments. those lucid bands that spread across the arctic sky and are known as the northern lights
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Their conversations are becoming less lucid and goofier as the night rolls on. — Andrew Nicla, AZCentral.com, "Late hours, no pay, diminishing returns: Scouring the Arizona desert for black-footed ferrets," 10 July 2019 Lanier said Moreschi and Castillo asked her about how lucid Stryker was before his death at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. — Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Rebecca Fierle investigation: Former Orlando police homicide detective joins probe of embattled guardian," 8 Aug. 2019 The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, who ran the morning’s hearing, and the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, who ran the afternoon session, both gave lucid, powerful, and damning opening statements. — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, "“Accountability”? The Mueller Hearing Is How Trump Escapes It," 24 July 2019 However, neurotechnologists need not grasp all of time’s mysteries in order to manipulate it, just as lucid dreamers and acid-droppers can get their kicks without quite understanding how. — Josh Wilbur, WIRED, "You Could Live Forever With This Sci-Fi Time Hack," 4 June 2019 The state of being lucid is coming to clarity after a state of mental confusion. — Akili King, Vogue, "Before Bed: Raveena Enjoys a Eucalyptus-Filled Shower and a Guided Meditation," 3 July 2019 The writing, in a highly readable translation by Damion Searls, is lucid and direct. — Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, "A Master of Mute Forms," 7 Mar. 2019 Written in elegant, lucid prose, her book is a treasure trove of European cultural riches and scandalous intrigue. — The Economist, "The life and loves of Alma Mahler," 14 June 2019 Her lucid prose is precise and pointed, filled with telling details gathered from contemporary accounts and scholarly histories, old guidebooks and recent interviews. — New York Times, "Notes From the Book Review Archives," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lucid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of lucid

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for lucid

Latin lucidus, from lucēre — see lucent

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More Definitions for lucid

lucid

adjective
How to pronounce lucid (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of lucid

: very clear and easy to understand
: able to think clearly

See the full definition for lucid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lucid

adjective
lu·​cid | \ ˈlü-səd How to pronounce lucid (audio) \

Kids Definition of lucid

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