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transparency

trans-PAIR-uhn-see /trænsˈpær.ən.si/

nounB2TOEFLIELTSUPSC

professionalpoliticalbusiness

The practice of conducting affairs in an open, clear, and visible manner, allowing others to see and verify the processes and decisions.

In governance, transparency refers to the accessibility of information. It means that decisions, financial records, and policies are open to public scrutiny, preventing corruption and building trust.

The story behind the word. Transparency comes from the Medieval Latin 'transparere', combining 'trans-' (through) and 'parere' (to appear or show). It originally described physical objects that allowed light to pass through so things behind them could be seen. In the late 20th century, it became a central metaphor for open governance.

Word relationships

openness: Openness is a general willingness to share information, while transparency is a structured, systematic practice of making processes visible and verifiable.
clarity: Clarity refers to how easy something is to understand, whereas transparency refers to how much information is made visible and accessible.

opacity: Opacity is the quality of being difficult to see through or understand, directly opposing transparency.
secrecy: Secrecy is the practice of hiding information, which is the exact opposite of transparency.

Commonly confused with

translucency: Translucency allows light to pass through but distorts images, whereas transparency allows light and clear images to pass through, meaning nothing is hidden or distorted.

Word family

transparent (adjective): Easy to perceive, detect, or see through.
transparently (adverb): In an open and obvious manner.

Collocations

radical transparency
lack of transparency
demand transparency
transparency in governance

Idioms & expressions

an open book

Example sentences

"The administration promised complete transparency in the bidding process for the new highway contract." A government reform initiative.
"To maintain transparency, the company published its environmental impact reports online for public review." A corporate communication to shareholders.

Memory hook

Think of a 'transparent' glass window. A transparent government has no brick walls or closed doors; you can see right through to the decisions being made inside. No walls, just glass.

When not to use

Do not use transparency to describe physical clarity (like glass) in a metaphorical context where 'clarity' or 'simplicity' of language is what you actually mean.

Fun facts

The term 'transparency' was rarely used in political science until the late 1980s, when the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of anti-corruption organizations popularized it.