Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The quality or state of being transparent.
  • noun A transparent object, especially a photographic slide that is viewed by light shining through it from behind or by projection.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The property or state of being transparent; that state or property of a body by which it admits of the passage of: rays of light so that forms, colors, and brightness of objects can be seen through it; diaphaneity.
  • noun Something intended to be seen by means of transmitted light, as a picture, a sign, or other representation; often, an announcement of news, painted on canvas or other translucent material and lighted from behind; hence, by extension, a frame or construction, usually of wood and muslin, containing the lights necessary, and having one, two, or four inscriptions, or the like, on different sides.
  • noun In photography, a positive picture on glass, intended to be viewed by transmitted light.
  • noun A translation of the German title Durchlaucht (Seine Durchlaucht, literally ‘His Perlustriousness,’ used like the English His Serene Highness).

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The quality or condition of being transparent; transparence.
  • noun That which is transparent; especially, a picture painted on thin cloth or glass, or impressed on porcelain, or the like, to be viewed by natural or artificial light, which shines through it.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable a transparent object.
  • noun countable specifically, a transparent material with an image on it, that is viewable by shining light through it.
  • noun figuratively openness, degree of accessibility to view
  • noun uncountable the quality of being transparent; transparence.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a transparent base; viewed with a projector
  • noun the quality of being clear and transparent
  • noun permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Second, and more critically, all nations must agree to some form of verification - she repeatedly used the term "transparency" - to ensure they are meeting their environmental promises.

    NYT > Home Page By JOHN M. BRODER 2009

  • 4. We use the term transparency as an alternative to visual control, particularly to indicate the need for everyone to see all of the activities occurring along a value stream flowing through many departments, functions, and firms.

    Lean Thinking James P. Womack 2003

  • Dazan also says the participating political parties need the final voters list to ensure what he described as transparency in the upcoming general elections.

    Nigerian Parties to Receive Voters List Ahead of April Elections 2011

  • Another effort, which he called the transparency project, began in 2005 posting on the agency's Web site its correspondence with companies.

    SEC Exodus May Soon Accelerate 2008

  • Another effort, which he called the transparency project, began in 2005 posting on the agency's Web site its correspondence with companies.

    SEC Exodus May Soon Accelerate 2008

  • Miguel - I guess what you call transparency - I call not "impuning the motives of a person who do not know" -- which has happened on many sides of this issue indeed Stephen did also in a portion of his synopsis, which I didn't quote.

    The List that Roared? 2006

  • And I think he inflicted this pressure on him because he ran a regime of terror that -- what we call transparency and structural reform is not meant to democratize the Palestinians.

    CNN Transcript May 19, 2002 2002

  • But in the interim one of the other priorities that we have is to begin discussions with the Russians on what we call transparency and irreversibility with respect to the nuclear materials that now will be coming out of these numbers of weapons that are called for in terms of START I and over time, START II reductions.

    Backgrounder In Budapest On Denuclear Treaty Signing ITY National Archives 1994

  • All this yammering about "transparency" is a joke, right?

    Republicans celebrate April Fools by praising Obama 2010

  • I have to admit that "transparency" is one of those terms that does not inspire me.

    Dennis Whittle: Transparency: The First Step to Democracy Dennis Whittle 2010

Comments

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  • The term 'transparency' is often used to mean openness in the way the EU institutions work. The EU institutions are committed to greater openness. They are taking steps to improve public access to information, and they are working to produce clearer and more readable documents. This includes better drafting of laws and, ultimately, a single, simpler and shorter treaty.

    May 19, 2012