1
: a polyhedron with two polygonal faces lying in parallel planes and with the other faces parallelograms
2
a
: a transparent body that is bounded in part by two nonparallel plane faces and is used to refract or disperse a beam of light
b
: a prism-shaped decorative glass luster
3
: a crystal form whose faces are parallel to one axis
especially
: one whose faces are parallel to the vertical axis
4
: a medium that distorts, slants, or colors whatever is viewed through it
Examples of prism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What would unfold in the space a week later felt less like just a performance than a confluence of those competing versions, a set shaped as much by his Weekend 1 absence, the prism of the livestream and online discourse of what was actually happening onstage.
—
Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
And so there’s a near infinite way of telling the story of human civilization through the prism of drugs.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
But most of Dwyane Wade’s thoughts also are on point, being able to see an organization through the prism of a player who was inside that organization.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The carousel also includes both a prism and grism (a planar prism) that will allow the telescope to do spectroscopy, giving us a picture of what wavelengths of light are arriving from certain sources or how severely redshifted the light of distant objects has become.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prism
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Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
And so there’s a near infinite way of telling the story of human civilization through the prism of drugs.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
But most of Dwyane Wade’s thoughts also are on point, being able to see an organization through the prism of a player who was inside that organization.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The carousel also includes both a prism and grism (a planar prism) that will allow the telescope to do spectroscopy, giving us a picture of what wavelengths of light are arriving from certain sources or how severely redshifted the light of distant objects has become.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prism
Cite this Entry
“Prism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prism. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prism
noun1
: a polyhedron with two opposite ends that are parallel polygons and faces that are each parallelograms
2
: a transparent object that usually has three sides and bends light so that it breaks up into rainbow colors
Medical Definition
prism
noun1
: a polyhedron with two polygonal faces lying in parallel planes and with the other faces parallelograms
2
: a transparent body that is bounded in part by two nonparallel plane faces and is used to refract or disperse a beam of light
3
: a crystal form whose faces are parallel to one axis
especially
: one whose faces are parallel to the vertical axis
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