splendent

English

Alternative forms

• splendant (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English splendaunt, from Old French splendiant, present participle of esplendiier, and esplendent, and Latin splendēns, splendentis, present participle of splendēre (“to shine”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsplɛndənt/

Adjective

splendent (comparative more splendent, superlative most splendent)

1. Shining; glossy; lustrous.

   splendent planets

   splendent metals

2. Very conspicuous; illustrious.
   • 1624, Henry Wotton, The Elements of Architecture, […], London: […] Iohn Bill, →OCLC:

     great and splendent fortunes

3. (archaic) Splendid, marvellous, wonderful.
   • 1592, R.D., Hypnerotomachia‎^[1]:

     After the triumph followed the faire Parthenopeian Leria, with a lawrell crowne, accompanied with Melanthia, whose habites and voices represented the pride of Greece,[A] whereupon the great Macedon rested his head: She bare a splendent lampe, communicating the light thereof with hir companion, then the rest more excellent both in voice and song.

   • 1759, Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. XVIII. (of XXI.)‎^[2]:

     July 1st, Daun had crossed the Elbe (Daun let us say for brevity, though it is Daun and Karl, or even Karl and Daun, Karl being chief, and capable of saying so at times, though Daun is very splendent since Kolin),--crossed the Elbe above Brandeis; Nadasti, with precursor Pandours, now within an hour's march of Jung-Bunzlau;--and it was time to go.

   • 1814, The Rev. H. F. Cary, M.A., The Vision of Paradise, Complete‎^[3]:

     --And lo! toward me, next, Another of those splendent forms approach'd, That, by its outward bright'ning, testified The will it had to pleasure me.

Latin

Verb

splendent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of splendeō