Origin: Latin prefix trans-
Transparent has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
"the cold crystalline water of melted snow"
"crystal clear skies"
"could see the sand on the bottom of the limpid pool"
"lucid air"
"a pellucid brook"
"transparent crystal"
so thin as to transmit light
"a hat with a diaphanous veil"
"filmy wings of a moth"
"gauzy clouds of dandelion down"
"gossamer cobwebs"
"sheer silk stockings"
"transparent chiffon"
"vaporous silks"
free of deceit
"The politician's transparent apology convinced everyone that he had no ulterior motives."
easily understood or seen through (because of a lack of subtlety)
"a transparent explanation"
"a transparent lie"
See-through, clear; having the property that light passes through it almost undisturbed, such that one can see through it clearly.
"The thick glass window was so transparent that we could easily spot the birds perched outside on the other side of the room."
In plain English: Transparent means clear enough for you to see right through something, like glass.
"The glass window was so transparent that we could see everything outside clearly."
Usage: Use transparent to describe objects like glass or plastic where you can easily see through them without distortion. Avoid confusing this with translucent materials, which allow some light but obscure clear vision of what lies behind.
The word transparent comes from Medieval Latin, where it meant "shining through." It is formed by combining the prefix trans- with the verb pareō, which means to appear or shine.