Brilliance
/ˈbrɪl.i.əns/noun
Great brightness or exceptional intelligence and talent.
Did you know?Brilliance comes through French from Latin *brillare*, meaning “to sparkle” or “to shine,” and its older ancestry is probably onomatopoeic—language imitating the flash of light itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Romance
PRom
*brillare
“to sparkle, shine”
Old French
OF
briller
“to shine, glitter”
14th-15th Century
Middle English
brilliance
“brightness, splendor”
Modern English
English
brilliance
“great brightness or exceptional intellect”