Transparent

How to spell transparent

11 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce transparent

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does transparent mean?

1. adjectiveAllowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be seen clearly.
2. adjectiveOpen and honest, with nothing hidden or concealed.

Transparent in a sentence

• The new packaging is transparent so customers can see the product inside.

• The council promised to be fully transparent about how the budget is spent.

• She chose transparent glass for the office partition.

• Investors expect a transparent explanation of where their money goes.

Where does transparent come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Medieval Latin transparentem, the present participle of transparere, which literally meant 'to show through' or 'to appear through'. It was built from the Latin prefix trans-, meaning 'through' or 'across', joined to the verb parere, meaning 'to appear' or 'to come into view'. English borrowed it in the late 1400s, at first strictly for materials like glass and water that let light pass straight through them. From there the meaning broadened over the centuries to a figurative sense of being open and easy to understand, as in clear motives or honest dealings. That same parere root is hiding inside the everyday word 'apparent', which is a useful reminder that the ending is -ent rather than the -ant that so many writers reach for by mistake.

How the word is built

• trans- (through)
• par- (from Latin parere: to appear, come into view)
• -ent (adjective suffix)