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I am trying to search online for materials with specific properties, including the ability to block light. I thought that opaque was the appropriate term for this, but I am finding that in common usage, people (and search engines) use it as a synonym of translucent, or light scattering.

What word should I be using?

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  • Opaqueness blocks all light completely 100%. Trust that.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Jul 5, 2022 at 22:02
  • Opaque means transmitting no light; translucent means transmitting some light, but no images; transparent means transmitting coherent images. Some people may be using opaque in a special way to describe certain materials, like opaque stockings, which don't actually block light, but are different from transparent or colored stockings. Certainly almost everything is opaque, after all -- including plants, animals, and all human property, not to mention the earth. Translucency is unusual.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Jul 5, 2022 at 22:05
  • @ermanen Well it does seem to be essentially the same question. I lack SE experience, is there a way to merge duplicate questions?
    – Adam Weston
    Commented Jul 5, 2022 at 22:27
  • @AdamWeston Yes, the way is closing the question as duplicate by voting; and when it is closed, the link of the other question appears at the top. You can read more details here: meta.stackexchange.com/help/duplicates
    – ermanen
    Commented Jul 6, 2022 at 8:40

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