Word
refractive
Phoneticsre·frac·tive
US/ɹəˈfɹæktɪv/
UK/ɹɪfɹˈæktɪv/
Definition
adj. describing something that causes light to change direction as it passes through. You use this to talk about how glass or water bends light.
adj. relating to the bending of light or other electromagnetic radiation as it passes from one medium to another. Often describes the physical property of a material that causes this change in direction.
Examples
“The lens has a high refractive index.”
“Opticians use refractive materials to correct vision by bending light to focus it properly on the retina.”
“The unique refractive properties of the gemstone cause it to display a brilliant spectrum of colors when viewed from different angles under bright light.”
Examples
simple
“The lens has a high refractive index.”
contextual
“Opticians use refractive materials to correct vision by bending light to focus it properly on the retina.”
complex
“The unique refractive properties of the gemstone cause it to display a brilliant spectrum of colors when viewed from different angles under bright light.”
Real-World Examples
“When materials undergo these phase changes, important physical properties can change as well, including density and refractive index, which affect how sound and light travel through them.” “By carefully arranging materials with different shapes and refractive indexes, scientists can block, guide, or strengthen selected wavelengths of light.” Etymology
From refract + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/refractive