Meaning & use
transparency
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of being open about decisions, actions and information so that others can see and check them.
Grammar: No plural or article is needed: the council promised transparency.
Patterns
- transparency in something
- transparency about something
Voters demanded more transparency in how the budget was spent.
The charity publishes its accounts as a sign of transparency.
Transparency about pricing helps customers trust the shop.
noununcountable
The quality of a material that lets light pass through so that things behind it can be seen clearly.
Grammar: Used with materials such as glass or water: the transparency of the water.
Patterns
- the transparency of something
Divers admired the transparency of the lake water.
The transparency of the glass lets in plenty of light.
Plastic wrap is chosen for its transparency.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A clear sheet with an image on it that is shown by shining light through it, once used with projectors.
Grammar: Countable in this older use: a pile of transparencies.
Patterns
- a transparency of something
The lecturer placed a transparency on the overhead projector.
She printed the chart on a transparency.
Old slides and transparencies filled the box.
Word forms
| plural | transparencies |
|---|
Common combinations
- full transparency
- The agency promised full transparency about the findings.
- lack of transparency
- Critics pointed to a lack of transparency in the process.
- promote transparency
- New rules promote transparency in lobbying.
- financial transparency
- Investors value financial transparency.
- demand transparency
- Residents demand transparency from the water company.
Synonyms and how they differ
- openness
- Openness is a softer, more general word, while transparency suggests that information can actually be checked.
- candor
- Candor describes honest speech from a person, but transparency describes systems and institutions as well.
- clarity
- Clarity means being easy to understand, whereas transparency means nothing is hidden.
- accountability
- Accountability is about being answerable for actions, and transparency is only one way to achieve it.
Opposites
Word family
- transparent adjective
- clear enough to see through, or open and honest
- transparently adverb
- in an open or clearly visible way
- intransparent adjective
- not open or clear, a rare word borrowed from other languages
Commonly confused: transparency or translucency?
transparency vs translucency
Translucency means light passes through but the view is blurred, while transparency means the view is clear.
Practice
After the scandal, the committee promised greater ___ so the public could see how every decision was made.
Choose one answer.
Transparency means letting people see how decisions are made. Secrecy is the opposite, and loyalty and efficiency do not involve openness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “transparency”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.