refracted; refracting; refracts
1
a
: to subject (something, such as a ray of light) to refraction
Between them, Kirchhoff and Bunsen developed the spectroscope, which uses a prism to refract light.—
Paul Strathern
Paul Strathern
b
: to alter or distort as if by refraction
"Nope" is his twist on the alien-invasion film as refracted through the prism of [filmmaker] David Lynch.—Cary Darling
Cary DarlingToo often Indian food, and later Chinese—then the two most favored and accepted of foreign cuisines—became refracted through the prism of British food.—Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson2
: to determine the refracting power of
refract a lens
: to be subjected to refraction
The head of the figure is often surrounded by rings of coloured light caused by light diffraction. Like with a rainbow, this is caused by light refracting through tiny droplets of water in the air.—Olivia Jones
Olivia JonesExamples of refract in a Sentence
Light is refracted when it hits water.
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, several waterfalls, such as Victoria Falls in southern Africa and Cumberland Falls in Kentucky, see lunar rainbows when the bright moonlight gets refracted in the dense mist.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
The moon’s apparently squished appearance is an illusion caused by Earth’s atmosphere refracting our natural satellite’s light.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
That’s due to the brand’s Liquid Silk Technology, where micro-pigments in the formula scatter light as it’s refracted by the skin, quite literally creating an optical illusion a glowing complexion—all while still maintaining a lightweight feel.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
To create the effect, thin layers of metal oxide are applied to refract light when the piece is viewed from different angles, a technique often used in the optical industry.
—Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refract
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
The moon’s apparently squished appearance is an illusion caused by Earth’s atmosphere refracting our natural satellite’s light.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
That’s due to the brand’s Liquid Silk Technology, where micro-pigments in the formula scatter light as it’s refracted by the skin, quite literally creating an optical illusion a glowing complexion—all while still maintaining a lightweight feel.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
To create the effect, thin layers of metal oxide are applied to refract light when the piece is viewed from different angles, a technique often used in the optical industry.
—Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refract
Cite this Entry
“Refract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refract. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refract
verb
re·fract
ri-ˈfrakt 
: to cause to go through refraction
Medical Definition
refract
transitive verb
re·fract
ri-ˈfrakt
1
: to subject (as a ray of light) to refraction
2
: to determine the refracting power of or abnormality of refraction in (as an eye or a lens)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share