I. noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English lihtnesse, lightnesse, from Old English līhtnes, from lēoht, līht bright + -nes -ness — more at light (bright)
1. : the quality or state of being illuminated : illumination
the lightness of the room
the lightness of the sky
2. : the attribute of object colors by which the object appears to reflect or transmit more or less of the incident light and which varies for surface colors from black as a minimum to white as a maximum and for transparent volume colors from black to colorless
II. noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English lihtnesse, lightnesse, from liht, light light + -nesse -ness — more at light (not heavy)
1. : the quality or state of being light or having little weight
the primary object of the Gothic vault was its appearance of immaterial lightness — Nikolaus Pevsner
the lightness of the bread
2. : a lack of seriousness or dignity : levity
the lightness of tone with which I uttered such serious words — E.J.Goodman
3.
a. : ease of movement : nimbleness
trotted up the stair with much lightness — John Brown
b. : an ease and gaiety of style or manner
a charming lightness of speech — Shane Leslie
a lightness of inflection that made the statement seem disarming — H.V.Gregory
4. : an absence of heaviness or pressure
a comparable feathery lightness of touch — A.M.Daintrey
5. : gracefulness
the lightness of her figure