WORD OF THE DAY: EFFULGENCE
noun | ih-FULL-junss
What It Means
Effulgence means “radiant splendor” or “brilliance.”
// Guests oohed and aahed at the sudden effulgence of the pagoda, as the last of its hundreds of candles were finally lit.
Effulgence in Context
“No one knows who suggested that the building be lit at night. But the obvious inspiration was Times Square, an area famous for its nighttime effulgence.” — Robert Sharoff, FastCompany.com, 7 July 2025
Did You Know?
Need a shiny word to bust out at your next disco party, planetarium visit, or fireworks gathering? How about effulgence? It’s not a shiny “new” word, having made its English language debut in the 17th century, but it’s unusual and has a lovely Latin pedigree: the verb fulgēre, meaning “to shine.” Effulgence isn’t used for bog-standard brightness, however; it’s reserved for shininess that dazzles, inspires, leaves you gobsmacked—in other words, “radiant splendor.”
Merriam Webster Dictionary
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