refraction
3 synonyms for refraction, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The bending of light, sound or water waves as they pass from one material into another in which they travel at a different speed.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use refraction
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
index of refraction
angle of refraction
atmospheric refraction
refraction test
Neutral and technical; standard in physics, optics and optometry.
Etymology
From Latin refractus, past participle of refringere "to break up", from re- "back" and frangere "to break".
Full origin of refraction →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between refraction and reflection?
Reflection is light bouncing off a surface and travelling back into the same material, which is how a mirror works. Refraction is light passing through into a new material and changing direction because its speed changes. A window does both at once: you see the street through it by refraction and your own faint image by reflection.
Why does refraction happen?
Light travels at different speeds in different materials, so when a wave enters a new material at an angle, one side of the wave front slows down before the other. That uneven slowing swings the wave onto a new path.
