opacity

/ou'pæsiti/

Thân thiện

The artist adjusts the opacity of the blue layer in her digital painting.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality of being opaque; the degree to which something blocks the passage of light: This refers to the physical property of a material that prevents light from passing through it clearly.
   • Obscurity of meaning; the quality of being hard to understand: This refers to a lack of clarity or transparency in language, thought, or expression.
   • The phenomenon of not permitting the passage of electromagnetic radiation: In physics, this extends the concept to include the blocking of other forms of electromagnetic waves, not just visible light.

Examples of Usage

• Physical Quality:
  • The opacity of the frosted glass provided privacy.
  • Scientists measure the opacity of the atmosphere to understand climate.
• Lack of Clarity in Meaning:
  • The opacity of the legal document made it difficult to interpret.
  • Critics pointed out the opacity of the poet's later work.

Advanced Usage

• "Mathematical/Logical Opacity": Used to describe a process or system whose internal workings are not easily understood or decipherable.
  • The algorithm's opacity is a concern for AI ethics.
• "Rhetorical Opacity": A deliberate use of complex or obscure language for stylistic effect.
  • The author's rhetorical opacity demands careful reading.

Variants and Related Words

• Opaque (adj): Not able to be seen through; not transparent. Also used figuratively to mean difficult to understand.
  • The windows were made of opaque glass.
  • His explanation was completely opaque.
• Opacify (verb, technical): To make something opaque.
  • The chemical is used to opacify the polymer.

Synonyms

• Physical: impermeability (to light), cloudiness, murkiness.
• Figurative (Lack of Clarity): obscurity, ambiguity, unintelligibility, incomprehensibility.

Antonyms

• Physical: transparency, clarity, translucency.
• Figurative (Lack of Clarity): clarity, lucidity, transparency, intelligibility.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Opacity of the cornea": A medical condition where the cornea of the eye becomes cloudy.
• "Financial opacity": A lack of transparency in financial reporting or corporate governance.
• "Optical opacity": A specific term in physics for the degree to which a material absorbs or scatters light.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the quality of being opaque to a degree; the degree to which something reduces the passage of light
2. incomprehensibility resulting from obscurity of meaning
3. the phenomenon of not permitting the passage of electromagnetic radiation

Từ đồng nghĩa

• opaqueness