prismatic

[ priz-mat-ik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like a prism.
2. formed by or as if by a transparent prism.
3. spectral in color; brilliant:

   prismatic colors.

4. highly varied or faceted:

   a prismatic existence.

prismatic

/ prɪzˈmætɪk /

adjective

1. concerned with, containing, or produced by a prism
2. exhibiting bright spectral colours

   prismatic light

3. crystallog another word for orthorhombic

prismatic

/ prĭz-măt′ĭk /

1. Relating to or resembling a prism.
2. Formed by refraction of light through a prism, used especially of a spectrum of light.

Derived Forms

• prisˈmatically, adverb

Other Words From

• pris·mati·cal·ly adverb
• inter·pris·matic adjective
• unpris·matic adjective
• unpris·mati·cal adjective
• unpris·mati·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prismatic¹

1700–10; < Greek prīsmat- (stem of prîsma ) prism + -ic

Example Sentences

Because isn’t that what beauty is, in all of its prismatic totality — hard to kill, always in bloom?

From Los Angeles Times

The glass panels gleam in the sun, like an outsize version of the prismatic bluish-purple gem that glitters in the light.

From BBC

Like hip-hop, breaking is represented by a prismatic range of cultures, each of which has evolved the form and lends its own flavors.

From Salon

It’s not all darkness, though: We also recommend a biography of the groundbreaking Chinese cooking star Fu Pei-mei, a prismatic portrait of five Black ballerinas from the 1960s and ’70s, and Cristina Henriquez’s historical novel set during the construction of the Panama Canal.

From New York Times

For those who believe that the narrative of Black prima ballerinas begins and ends with Misty Copeland, Valby’s rich, prismatic portrait of the five dancers who formed the core of the Dance Theater of Harlem’s inaugural 1969 class offers a joyful and spirited corrective.

From New York Times

Related Words

• bright
• flashy
• gaudy
• hued
• multicolored
• rich
• splashy
• vibrant
• vivid