transparent

[trans-pair-uh nt, -par-] /trænsˈpɛər ənt, -ˈpær-/

adjective

having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen.

admitting the passage of light through interstices.

so sheer as to permit light to pass through; diaphanous.

easily seen through, recognized, or detected:

transparent excuses.

manifest; obvious:

a story with a transparent plot.

open; frank; candid:

the man's transparent earnestness.

Computers. (of a process or software) operating in such a way as to not be perceived by users.

Obsolete. shining through, as light.

Origin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin trānspārent- (stem of trānspārēns) showing through (present participle of trānspārēre), equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + pārent- (stem of pārēns), present participle of pārēre to appear; see apparent

Related forms

transparently, adverb

transparentness, noun

nontransparent, adjective

nontransparently, adverb

nontransparentness, noun

subtransparent, adjective

subtransparently, adverb

subtransparentness, noun

untransparent, adjective

untransparently, adverb

untransparentness, noun

Can be confused

translucent, transparent (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms

1. clear, pellucid, limpid, crystalline. T ransparent , translucent agree in describing material that light rays can pass through. That which is transparent allows objects to be seen clearly through it: Clear water is transparent. That which is translucent allows light to pass through, diffusing it, however, so that objects beyond are not distinctly seen: Ground glass is translucent.

Antonyms

1. opaque. 6. secretive.

Examples from the web for transparent

It is transparent, with no obvious colours except for some small brownish spots.
As butter starts to sizzle, add onion and cook until transparent.
There was ivory in it, and some transparent crystalline substance.
Archer continued to stare through her as though she had been transparent.
It is a remarkably transparent system, your benefits are based on your income and the average rate of wage growth.
But this layer can also be made transparent, so that the display can also be backlit and used in darkness.
It is electrically conductive, strong and transparent.
It is a public program whose future budgetary risks are highly transparent.
His government has also been far more transparent than its predecessors.
Government statisticians insist that everything will be transparent.

British Dictionary definitions for transparent

transparent

/trænsˈpærənt; -ˈpɛər-/

adjective

permitting the uninterrupted passage of light; clear: a window is transparent

easy to see through, understand, or recognize; obvious

(of a substance or object) permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation: a substance that is transparent to X-rays

candid, open, or frank

Derived Forms

transparently, adverb
transparentness, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Medieval Latin transpārēre to show through, from Latin trans- + pārēre to appear

Word Origin and History for transparent

adj.

early 15c., from Medieval Latin transparentem (nominative transparens), present participle of transparere "show light through," from Latin trans- "through" (see trans-) + parere "come in sight, appear" (see appear). Figurative sense of "easily seen through" is first attested 1590s. The attempt to back-form a verb transpare (c.1600) died with the 17c.

transparent in Science

transparent

(trāns-pâr'ənt)
Allowing radiation or matter to pass through with little or no resistance or diffusion. Compare opaque, translucent. See Note at glass.

transparent in Technology

1. Not visible, hidden; said of a system which functions in a manner not evident to the user. For example, the Domain Name System transparently resolves a fully qualified domain name into an IP address without the user being aware of it.
Compare this to what Donald Norman (https://atg.apple.com/Norman/) calls "invisibility", which he illustrates from the user's point of view:
"You use computers when you use many modern automobiles, microwave ovens, games, CD players and calculators. You don't notice the computer because you think of yourself as doing the task, not as using the computer." ["The Design of Everyday Things", New York, Doubleday, 1989, p. 185].
2. Fully defined, known, predictable; said of a sub-system in which matters generally subject to volition or stochastic state change have been chosen, measured, or determined by the environment. Thus for transparent systems, output is a known function of the inputs, and users can both predict the behaviour and depend upon it.
(1996-06-04)