something that makes things visible or affords illumination.
All colors depend on light.
Physics.
Also called radiant energy. Also called luminous energy. electromagnetic radiation to which the organs of sight react, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 700 nanometers and propagated at a speed of 186,282 miles per second (299,972 kilometers per second), considered variously as a wave, a stream of particles, or a quantum phenomenon.
a similar form of radiant energy that does not affect the retina, as ultraviolet or infrared rays.
the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of sight.
an illuminating agent or source, as the sun, a lamp, or a beacon.
the radiance or illumination from a particular source.
the light of a candle.
the illumination from the sun; daylight.
We awoke at the first light.
daybreak or dawn.
when light appeared in the east.
daytime.
Summer has more hours of light.
a particular light or illumination in which an object seen takes on a certain appearance.
viewing the portrait in dim light.
a device for or means of igniting, as a spark, flame, or match.
Could you give me a light?
a traffic light.
Don't cross till the light changes.
the aspect in which a thing appears or is regarded.
Try to look at the situation in a more cheerful light.
the state of being visible, exposed to view, or revealed to public notice or knowledge; limelight.
Stardom has placed her in the light.
a person who is an outstanding leader, celebrity, or example; luminary.
He became one of the leading lights of Restoration drama.
Art.
the effect of light falling on an object or scene as represented in a picture.
one of the brightest parts of a picture.
a gleam or sparkle, as in the eyes.
a measure or supply of light; illumination.
The wall cuts off our light.
spiritual illumination or awareness; enlightenment.
Architecture.
Also called day. one compartment of a window or window sash.
a window, especially a small one.
mental insight; understanding.
lights, the information, ideas, or mental capacities possessed.
to act according to one's lights.
a lighthouse.
Archaic. the eyesight.
having light or illumination; bright; well-lighted.
the lightest room in the entire house.
pale, whitish, or not deep or dark in color.
a light blue.
(of coffee or tea) containing enough milk or cream to produce a light color.
to set burning, as a candle, lamp, fire, match, or cigarette; kindle; ignite.
to turn or switch on (an electric light).
One flick of the master switch lights all the lamps in the room.
to give light to; furnish with light or illumination.
The room is lighted by two large chandeliers.
to make (an area or object) bright with or as if with light (often followed byup ).
Hundreds of candles lighted up the ballroom.
to cause (the face, surroundings, etc.) to brighten, especially with joy, animation, or the like (often followed byup ).
A smile lit up her face. Her presence lighted up the room.
to guide or conduct with a light.
a candle to light you to bed.
to take fire or become kindled.
The damp wood refused to light.
to ignite a cigar, cigarette, or pipe for purposes of smoking (usually followed byup ).
He took out a pipe and lighted up before speaking.
to become illuminated when switched on.
This table lamp won't light.
to become bright, as with light or color (often followed byup ).
The sky lights up at sunset.
to brighten with animation or joy, as the face or eyes (often followed byup ).
hide one's light under a bushel, to conceal or suppress one's talents or successes.
in a good / bad light, under favorable (or unfavorable) circumstances.
She worshiped him, but then she'd only seen him in a good light.
see the light,
to come into existence or being.
to be made public.
to begin to accept or understand a point of view one formerly opposed.
Her father was opposed to her attending an out-of-town college, but he finally saw the light.
bring to light, to discover or reveal.
The excavations brought to light the remnants of an ancient civilization.
in (the) light of, taking into account; because of; considering.
It was necessary to review the decision in the light of recent developments.
come to light, to be discovered or revealed.
Some previously undiscovered letters have lately come to light.
light at the end of the tunnel, a prospect of success, relief, or redemption.
We haven't solved the problem yet, but we're beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.
shed / throw light on, to clarify; clear up.
His deathbed confession threw light on a mystery of long standing.
of little weight; not heavy.
a light load.
of little weight in proportion to bulk; of low specific gravity.
a light metal.
of less than the usual or average weight.
light clothing.
weighing less than the proper or standard amount.
to be caught using light weights in trade.
of small amount, force, intensity, etc.: a light rain;
light trading on the stock market;
a light rain;
light sleep.
using or applying little or slight pressure or force.
The child petted the puppy with light, gentle strokes.
not distinct; faint.
The writing on the page had become light and hard to read.
easy to endure, deal with, or perform; not difficult or burdensome.
light duties.
not very profound or serious; amusing or entertaining.
light reading.
of little importance or consequence; trivial.
The loss of his job was no light matter.
easily digested.
light food.
low in any substance, as sugar, starch, or tars, that is considered harmful or undesirable.
light cigarettes.
(of alcoholic beverages)
not heavy or strong.
a light apéritif.
(especially of beer and wine) having fewer calories and usually a lower alcohol content than the standard product.
spongy or well-leavened, as cake.
(of soil) containing much sand; porous or crumbly.
slender or delicate in form or appearance.
a light, graceful figure.
airy or buoyant in movement.
When she dances, she's as light as a feather.
nimble or agile.
light on one's feet.
free from trouble, sorrow, or worry; carefree.
a light heart.
a light laugh.
characterized by lack of proper seriousness; frivolous.
light conduct.
sexually promiscuous; loose.
easily swayed; changeable: volatile.
a heart light of love;
His is a life of a man light of purpose.
slightly delirious; dizzy.
I get light on one martini.
Military. lightly armed or equipped.
light cavalry.
having little or no cargo, encumbrance, or the like; not burdened.
a light freighter drawing little water.
adapted by small weight or slight build for small loads or swift movement.
The grocer bought a light truck for deliveries.
using small-scale machinery primarily for the production of consumer goods.
light industry.
Nautical. noting any sail of light canvas set only in moderate or calm weather, as a royal, skysail, studdingsail, gaff topsail, or spinnaker.
Meteorology. (of wind) having a speed up to 7 miles per hour (3 meters per second).
Phonetics. (of l- sounds) resembling a front vowel in quality; clear.
French l is lighter than English l.
Prosody. (of a syllable)
Poker. being in debt to the pot.
He's a dollar light.
with few or no suitcases; lightly.
to travel light.
with no load or cargo hauled or carried.
a locomotive running light to its roundhouse.
to get down or descend, as from a horse or a vehicle.
As she lighted, the journalists began shouting questions at her.
to come to rest, as on a spot or thing; fall or settle upon; land.
The bird lighted on the branch. My eye lighted on some friends in the crowd.
to come by chance; happen; hit (usually followed by on orupon ).
to light on a clue; to light on an ideal picnic spot.
to fall, as a stroke, weapon, vengeance, or choice, on a place or person.
The choice lighted upon our candidate.
light into to make a vigorous physical or verbal attack on.
He would light into anyone with the slightest provocation.
light out to leave quickly; depart hurriedly.
He lit out of here as fast as his legs would carry him.
God regarded as a source of illuminating grace and strength
Quakerism short for Inner Light
the medium of illumination that makes sight possible
Also called: visible radiation. electromagnetic radiation that is capable of causing a visual sensation and has wavelengths from about 380 to about 780 nanometres
(not in technical usage) electromagnetic radiation that has a wavelength outside this range, esp ultraviolet radiation
ultraviolet light
the sensation experienced when electromagnetic radiation within the visible spectrum falls on the retina of the eye
anything that illuminates, such as a lamp or candle
See traffic light
a particular quality or type of light
a good light for reading
illumination from the sun during the day; daylight
the time this appears; daybreak; dawn
anything that allows the entrance of light, such as a window or compartment of a window
the condition of being visible or known (esp in the phrases bring or come to light )
an aspect or view
he saw it in a different light
mental understanding or spiritual insight
a person considered to be an authority or leader
brightness of countenance, esp a sparkle in the eyes
the act of igniting or kindling something, such as a cigarette
something that ignites or kindles, esp in a specified manner, such as a spark or flame
something used for igniting or kindling, such as a match
See lighthouse
the effect of illumination on objects or scenes, as created in a picture
an area of brightness in a picture, as opposed to shade
a poetic or archaic word for eyesight
the answer to a clue in a crossword
in view of; taking into account; considering
hope for the ending of a difficult or unpleasant situation
quickly asleep or unconscious
to gain sudden insight into or understanding of something
to experience a religious conversion
to come into being
to come to public notice
to clarify or supply additional information on
to stand so as to obscure a person's vision
(verb) to ignite something, esp a match, by friction
(interjection) an exclamation of surprise
to ignite or cause to ignite
(often foll by up) to illuminate or cause to illuminate
to make or become cheerful or animated
(tr) to guide or lead by light
not heavy; weighing relatively little
having relatively low density
magnesium is a light metal
lacking sufficient weight; not agreeing with standard or official weights
not great in degree, intensity, or number
light rain
a light eater
without burdens, difficulties, or problems; easily borne or done
a light heart
light work
graceful, agile, or deft
light fingers
not bulky or clumsy
not serious or profound; entertaining
light verse
without importance or consequence; insignificant
no light matter
frivolous or capricious
loose in morals
dizzy or unclear
a light head
(of bread, cake, etc) spongy or well leavened
easily digested
a light meal
relatively low in alcoholic content
a light wine
(of a soil) having a crumbly texture
designed to carry light loads
not loaded
carrying light arms or equipment
light infantry
(of an industry) engaged in the production of small consumer goods using light machinery Compare heavy
aeronautics (of an aircraft) having a maximum take-off weight less than 5670 kilograms (12 500 pounds)
chem (of an oil fraction obtained from coal tar) having a boiling range between about 100° and 210°C
(of a railway) having a narrow gauge, or in some cases a standard gauge with speed or load restrictions not applied to a main line
bridge
(of a bid) made on insufficient values
(of a player) having failed to take sufficient tricks to make his contract
phonetics prosody (of a syllable, vowel, etc) unaccented or weakly stressed; short Compare heavy See also light 1
phonetics the least of three levels of stress in an utterance, in such languages as English
informal lacking a sufficient quantity of (something)
to treat as insignificant or trifling
a less common word for lightly
with little equipment, baggage, etc
to travel light
(esp of birds) to settle or land after flight
to get down from a horse, vehicle, etc
to come upon unexpectedly
to strike or fall on
the choice lighted on me
Electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. It is made up of electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between 4 × 10 - 7 and 7 × 10 - 7 meters. Light, and all other electromagnetic radiation, travels at a speed of about 299,728 km (185,831 mi) per second in a vacuum.
See also photon
Electromagnetic energy of a wavelength just outside the range the human eye can detect, such as infrared light and ultraviolet light.
See Note at electromagnetic radiation
First recorded before 900; (noun and adjective) Middle English; Old English lēoht; cognate with Old Saxon lioht, Old Frisian liacht, Dutch, German licht, Gothic liuhath (noun); akin to Old Norse ljōs (noun), ljōss (adjective), Latin lūx (noun), Greek leukós “bright, white”; (verb) Middle English lighten, Old English līhtan, cognate with Old Saxon liuhtian, Old High German liuhten ( German leuchten ), Gothic liuhtjan
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English lēoht, līht; cognate with Old Frisian li(u)cht, Old Saxon -līht, Dutch licht, German leicht, Old Norse lēttr, Gothic leihts
First recorded before 900; Middle English lihten, Old English līhtan “to make light, relieve of a weight”; see light 2
It's pitch black in your room so you switch on the lamp, and your room is filled with light. Light is a source of illumination, whether a natural one (like the sun) or an artificial one (like your lamp). Like light itself, the word can take a lot of different forms — it can be a noun, an adjective, or a verb, and it can mean "bright" or "not heavy". No matter how you define it, though, the word comes from the Old English word leoht.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the survey, 82% of respondents reported that odors were “very strong”; 16% classified odors as strong; and 2% reported “moderate or light odors.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Every summer, female glow worms put on a remarkable display, emitting a bright green light to attract males.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
On a recent evening, from a seat at the restaurant’s fluted blonde-wood bar, I watched as a blaze of honeyed light poured through a wall of windows overlooking sloping vineyards and the Appalachian foothills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"They don't eat, they just breed and then lay eggs and die. If there's light pollution that's going to really disrupt that final stage of their life cycle," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It’s that house there, on the right,” Zara says, pointing at a mansion-sized house at the end of a long driveway, flanked on either side by wrought iron light posts.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Light from the most remote galaxies will become stretched to such enormous wavelengths that it will effectively disappear from view.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
Light possesses many characteristics that researchers can manipulate, including its intensity, phase, polarization, spin, and its electric and magnetic field vectors.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
Ward was awarded the Bafta Rising Star Award in 2020 and was later nominated twice for roles in the BBC's Small Axe and the 2022 film Empire of Light.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Earlier this year, Bud Light released a Post Malone-branded, limited-edition miniature can, pushing the idea that beer in smaller cans stays cold while you drink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Light rain fell for about an hour as the sun was setting so we roped up our tarps and sat together for a moment, to regroup and plan watch.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
The U.S. drone may have an edge on speed on the mountain, given it’s far lighter than the Chinese machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Fury is 3lb lighter than he was for his last outing against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Airbus unveiled at Farnborough its "wing of tomorrow" -- a longer, lighter and folding wing structure designed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
In terms of longer-term trends Abouhossein argues that investment banking generally is transforming as a business model from a heavy emphasis on balance sheet and inventory, to something lighter and more geared to best-execution practices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The flick and click of a lighter being lit.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
By contrast, the lightest Specs model weighs 132 grams.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
It was befitting of an important office job, with only the lightest indicators of riches and omnipotence.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
On May 28, GoPro announced that its new Mission 1 line of products was available, describing the series as "the world's smallest, lightest, and most rugged 8K and 4K Open Gate cinema cameras."
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
In an age when the world’s best players tend to prioritize distance with their drivers, Rai is one of the game’s lightest hitters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in the class and the lightest kid in the class, and had them weigh themselves.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
Three indoor privies were lighted by skylights and ingeniously ventilated by a 150-foot-long lateral tunnel that drew in air and discharged it through adjoining chimneys, providing a continuous draft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The building, which officially opened last year, is routinely lighted up for major events and holidays and is expected to be for SpaceX’s debut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Unlike traditional horror that mixes dark visuals with jump scares, in “Backrooms” the long hallways and blind corners are starkly lighted and terror builds slowly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
“America’s longest running newscast signs off for the last time,” Kathan said in the small dimly lighted studio in the CBS Broadcast Center on Manhattan’s West Side.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
After a few minutes, we get him to his feet, and Alex guides us to the lighted area.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Despite the dim lighting and gentle music, I was nowhere near a state of Zen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Lauensteins, who spent years scouring architectural salvage sites for items including wrought iron, hardware, lighting and doors to decorate their home, largely stewarded the transformation, with occasional guidance from interior designers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Maybe it’s lower lighting, good hand soap in the bathroom or a beautiful bread course placed on the table before anyone has had time to wonder whether they are hungry.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
It's smaller than I expected - around 50 centimetres high - and even in the fairly low lighting, the work is exquisite.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Depending on the lighting and whether his hair and beard were neatly trimmed, he could pass for anything from a thirtysomething Middle Eastern businessman to a midfifties South American beach bum.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
"Just looking at the booster real quick, it didn't look like we lit all 13 engines that we were planning for that initial land and burn," said Huot.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Inside, neatly made-up rooms for visiting priests line warmly lit halls that lead to a chapel where the 400-year-old ritual takes place.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Together they lit some incense and munched on muffins and chips and guacamole.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
The teenage prodigy has lit up Europe for the past two seasons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The lights on the Lagerstrasse were not even lit when we were driven from our bunks at 3:30 A.M.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.