brilliancy
brilliancy Lexical Profile
brilliancy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Intense brightness, luster, or radiance of light or color.
"The cut of the diamond was designed to maximize its natural brilliancy under the gallery lights."
Exceptional intelligence, talent, or distinction in artistic or intellectual performance.
"Critics praised the young pianist for the sheer brilliancy of her technique during the concerto."
A chess game or combination played with spectacular, imaginative, and often sacrificial tactics.
"The grandmaster was awarded a special prize for his stunning queen-sacrifice brilliancy in the final round."
Word Nuance & Usage
While "brilliance" is the standard modern form for general brightness and exceptional intellect, "brilliancy" is now dated in everyday contexts, though it remains a standard countable technical term in chess for a game featuring spectacular sacrifice combinations.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-18th century from the adjective "brilliant" (borrowed from French "brillant", present participle of "briller", meaning "to shine") combined with the abstract noun suffix "-cy".