anti-halation
|an-ti-ha-la-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.hæ.ləˈteɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.hæl.əˈteɪ.ʃən/
against light halo / prevents haloing
Etymology
'anti-halation' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and the noun 'halation' (an English photographic term meaning a halo-like spreading of light).
'halation' was formed in photographic English from 'halo' + the nominalizing suffix '-ation'; 'halo' itself comes via Latin and Old French from Greek 'halōs' (ἅλως) meaning a circular area or disk associated with the sun or moon, and over time 'halo' came to denote a ring or diffusion of light.
Initially related to the literal 'halo' (a ring or disk of light), the term evolved in photographic usage to denote unwanted light diffusion on film or sensors; 'anti-halation' therefore developed as a compound meaning 'against that diffusion'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a material layer, coating, or treatment applied to film, photographic paper, or imaging sensors designed to prevent or reduce halation — the spreading or halo-like diffusion of bright light in an image.
The film contains an anti-halation layer to minimize haloing around highlights.
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Adjective 1
serving to reduce or prevent halation; having anti-halation properties.
Use an anti-halation backing when shooting high-contrast scenes to avoid light diffusion.
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Last updated: 2025/10/30 22:51