Opacity: Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ OPACITY most nearly means: (A) transparency; (B) obscurity; (C) brightness; (D) simplicity. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
TL;DR: Opacity means the quality of being opaque—either literally not see-through, or figuratively hard to understand. This is the noun form of the adjective opaque (which means 'un-see-through-able', like a hotel's blackout curtains).
ℹ️ Part of Speech of Opacity
opacity is a NOUN.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Opacity
opacity is pronounced /oʊ.ˈpæs.ɪ.ti/ or oh-PASS-ih-tee.
📚️ Definition of Opacity
The quality of being opaque or not transparent; the state of being difficult to understand or lacking clarity. Example: the opacity of bureaucratic jargon.
📰 Examples of Opacity
Here are some examples of the word opacity:
The opacity of the company's financial reports raised red flags among investors who couldn't figure out where the company's funds were actually going.
Artists can adjust the opacity of brush strokes in Photoshop or other software to create beautiful layering effects in their artwork.
Despite promises of transparency, the administration's opacity regarding its decision-making process in spending left citizens feeling frustrated and uninformed.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
B, obscurity. Explanations: A is the opposite—transparency means being see-through or clear, not opaque. C doesn't work; brightness refers to light intensity, not clarity. D is incorrect; simplicity means being easy or uncomplicated, which is actually the opposite of opacity in the figurative sense.