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transparency

/trænˈspærənsi/  ·  say it: trans·PAR·uhn·see

openness about decisions and actions

In From the Front Page

In more detail

1. (noun) the quality of being easy to see through; the state of being clear or allowing light to pass through

2. (noun) the quality of being honest, open, and not hiding information

3. (noun) a sheet of transparent material with an image printed on it, used for showing pictures on a screen with a projector

Examples

• 1. The transparency of the glass allowed us to see the garden clearly.
• 2. The government promised transparency in its decision-making process.
• 3. The teacher placed a transparency on the overhead projector to show the map to the class.

How to use transparency

Transparency refers both to the physical property of allowing light to pass through and, more commonly in modern usage, to the principle of openness and honesty in institutional or business practices. In contexts of governance and ethics, it emphasizes accountability and the disclosure of information; this sense has become increasingly prominent in organizational discourse.

Common phrases

• complete transparency
• transparency in government
• lack of transparency
• achieve transparency
• corporate transparency
• financial transparency

Synonyms

clarity · lucidity · openness · candor · translucence

Opposites

opacity · secrecy · obscurity

Word family

transparent (adjective) · transparently (adverb) · transparentness (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse transparency (openness/clarity) with translucence (allowing light through but not clearly); transparency in the ethical sense does not mean revealing everything without selectivity, but rather honest and accessible disclosure according to appropriate standards.

Nearby in From the Front Page

indict, plea deal, oversight, accountability, rank and file, establishment

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained