1 luminance | Definition of luminance

luminance

noun
lu·​mi·​nance | \ ˈlü-mÉ™-nÉ™n(t)s How to pronounce luminance (audio) \

Definition of luminance

1 : the quality or state of being luminous
2 : the luminous intensity of a surface in a given direction per unit of projected area

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Synonyms for luminance

Synonyms

burnish, gloss, luster (or lustre), polish, sheen, shine

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Examples of luminance in a Sentence

the emerald had a pure, icy green luminance the landscapes of the French painter Claude Lorraine have a unique luminance that no other artist has quite captured

Recent Examples on the Web

As Boris points out in his public explainer post, HDR-10's metadata contains exact nit output values, not relative ones, that account for a luminance maximum of 10,000 nits. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "HDR is less confusing—and even geekier—when broken down by detailed heatmaps," 16 Feb. 2018 In this process, called luminance, the metal absorbs energy from the explosion, something called excitation, emitting a color of light specific to that metal. Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, "O say can you see? The science behind the booms and blooms of Independence Day fireworks," 3 July 2018 Broadly speaking, the name of each DisplayHDR level corresponds to its peak brightness: DisplayHDR 400 reaches up to 400 nits of luminance, DisplayHDR600 goes up to 600 nits, and DisplayHDR 1000 reaches up to 1,000. Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica, "Philips launches a 43-inch HDR monitor that reaches 1,000 nits of brightness," 25 Apr. 2018 Here, Andreo has draped the color data onto the more detailed luminance image. Alexis Madrigal, WIRED, "The Making of a Mind-Blowing Space Photo," 6 Oct. 2009 First, your expensive new panel will have a higher luminance range (at least 800 nits of perceptible brightness, compared to the 100-nit range of SDR panels). Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "HDR and video games: Ars leaves E3 with more questions than answers," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'luminance.' 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 luminance

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for luminance

luminance

noun
lu·​mi·​nance | \ ˈlü-mÉ™-nÉ™n(t)s How to pronounce luminance (audio) \

Medical Definition of luminance

1 : the quality or state of being luminous
2 : the luminous intensity of a surface in a given direction per unit of projected area

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More from Merriam-Webster on luminance

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for luminance

Britannica English: Translation of luminance for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about luminance