# brilliant

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈbɹɪljənt/ · frequency rank #2,716

## Definitions
1. Shining brightly.
2. Both bright and saturated.
3. Having a sharp, clear tone.
4. Of surpassing excellence; magnificent.
5. Highly intelligent.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French brillant (late 17th century), present participle of the verb briller, from Italian brillare, possibly from Latin berillus, beryllus (“a beryl, gem, eyeglass”), from Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bḗrullos, “beryl”).

## Easily confused with
- **brilliantly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brilliant-vs-brilliantly)
- **brilliance** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brilliance-vs-brilliant)

## Common misspellings (12)
`bbrilliant`, `birlliant`, `briliant`, `brililant`, `brillaint`, `brilliannt`, `brilliantt`, `brilliatn`, `brillinat`, `brliliant`, `brrilliant`, `rbilliant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/brilliant