nontransparent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nontransparent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not clear, obvious, or easily understood, often in contexts related to communication, policies, or materials. Example: "The company's nontransparent pricing structure has led to confusion among customers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

The irony of all this was that Earth First! became acutely hierarchical, and in the worst possible way, "because the hierarchy is nontransparent".

The Guardian

These limitations arise because of the inherent fallibility of the tools in a world of regulatory arbitrage; because the scope of our regulatory authority does not extend equally to all parts of the financial system; and because risk-taking naturally tends to be structured in a nontransparent way that can make it hard to recognize.

The Economist

Experts studying this phenomenon have defined state capture as a situation in which decisions are made to appease specific interests, maybe even through illicit and nontransparent private payments to public officials, rather than to suit the national interest aggregated and mediated through a democratic process.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The expression connotes the nontransparent, collusive interests that underlie the establishment's push to increase nuclear power despite the discovery of active fault lines under plants, new projections about the size of tsunamis and a long history of cover-ups of safety problems.

The New York Times

We need a financial sector that works for the real economy – not a continuation of the dangerous, nontransparent government subsidy schemes that have brought the Europeans to their knees.

The New York Times

That structure is at once unwieldy and uncoordinated, they say, while being overly centralized, stirring resentment for the nontransparent and nondemocratic ways in which it renders judgments.

The New York Times

There are those who say that relying on the anti-corruption commission and a nontransparent process to ferret out and punish offending officials is not the right way to set the party straight.

The New York Times

"A financial system with dangerously low capital levels — hence prone to major collapses — creates a nontransparent contingent liability for the federal budget in the United States," said Simon Johnson, an M.I.T. economist and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, in Congressional testimony last week.

The New York Times

But it is also an all-too-accurate reflection of where we stand today with regard to global megabanks and the large, nontransparent and highly dangerous subsidies they extract from the rest of society by being too big to fail.

The New York Times

This is an unfair, nontransparent government subsidy that encourages excessive risk-taking and creates a very large potential downside for the nonfinancial side of our economy.

The New York Times

"It had been a nontransparent ride for me — being in Washington for 37 years," Mr. Devaney said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When criticizing processes or systems, pair "nontransparent" with specific examples to strengthen your argument and avoid vague accusations.

Common error

Avoid using "nontransparent" when you simply mean "difficult to understand". "Nontransparent" implies a deliberate lack of openness or clarity, not just inherent complexity.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "nontransparent" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe their lack of transparency, whether physical or metaphorical, as shown by Ludwig in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the adjective "nontransparent" describes a lack of clarity or openness, often implying a deliberate intent to obscure information. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and commonly used, especially in news and media contexts to criticize systems and processes. While alternatives like "opaque" and "unclear" exist, "nontransparent" carries a stronger connotation of intentional obfuscation. When writing, it's best to use "nontransparent" when you want to highlight the lack of transparency and provide specific examples to support your claims.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Opaque

Implies a complete lack of transparency, making it impossible to see through or understand.

Obscure

Suggests something is vague, unclear, and difficult to perceive or understand.

Unclear

Indicates a lack of clarity or distinctness, making it difficult to understand or interpret.

Incomprehensible

Emphasizes the inability to understand something due to its complexity or obscurity.

Ambiguous

Highlights the presence of multiple possible meanings, leading to uncertainty.

Convoluted

Describes something excessively complicated and difficult to follow.

Secretive

Implies an intentional effort to keep something hidden or concealed.

Hidden

Suggests something is deliberately kept out of sight or knowledge.

Inaccessible

Indicates a lack of access or availability, making it difficult to obtain information.

Clouded

Suggests that something is obscured or made less clear, often by emotions or external factors.

FAQs

How can I use "nontransparent" in a sentence?

You can use "nontransparent" to describe processes, systems, or materials that lack openness or clarity. For example: "The company's pricing structure is "nontransparent", making it difficult for customers to understand the final cost."

What can I say instead of "nontransparent"?

You can use alternatives like "opaque", "unclear", or "secretive" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "nontransparent" or "untransparent"?

"Nontransparent" is the correct and widely accepted term. "Untransparent" is rarely used.

What's the difference between "nontransparent" and "opaque"?

While both terms indicate a lack of transparency, "nontransparent" often suggests a deliberate lack of openness, while "opaque" can simply refer to something that is difficult to understand, whether intentionally or not.