scintillation
noun
scin·til·la·tion
ˌsin-tə-ˈlā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of scintillating
especially
: rapid changes in the brightness of a celestial body
2
a
: a spark or flash emitted in scintillating
b
: a flash of light produced in a phosphor by an ionizing event
3
: a brilliant outburst (as of wit)
4
: a flash of the eye
Examples of scintillation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, the military's ultra-hardened Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites in geosynchronous orbit are designed to operate through an electromagnetic pulse and nuclear scintillation.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
These are stones that demonstrate exceptional light return, fire, scintillation, balanced symmetry and minimal light leakage, along with ideal shape outline.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
For me, the apotheosis of grandeur and scintillation was Northbrook Court in the 1980s.
—David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
This seems rather an understatement to your correspondent., for the style, substance, silhouettes and scintillation of Anaïs C. jewels embody an earthly yet mystical mix of sustainably sourced, precious gemstones inside of primal jewelry forms.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
However, a subtler effect involves atmospheric turbulence, which can cause fluctuations—also known as optical scintillation—that result in large changes in signal strength.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2025
Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation
NASA.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
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Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
These are stones that demonstrate exceptional light return, fire, scintillation, balanced symmetry and minimal light leakage, along with ideal shape outline.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
For me, the apotheosis of grandeur and scintillation was Northbrook Court in the 1980s.
—David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
This seems rather an understatement to your correspondent., for the style, substance, silhouettes and scintillation of Anaïs C. jewels embody an earthly yet mystical mix of sustainably sourced, precious gemstones inside of primal jewelry forms.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
However, a subtler effect involves atmospheric turbulence, which can cause fluctuations—also known as optical scintillation—that result in large changes in signal strength.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2025
Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation
NASA.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scintillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scintillation. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
scintillation
noun
scin·til·la·tion
ˌsint-ᵊl-ˈā-shən
often attributive
: a flash of light produced in a phosphor by an ionizing event
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