incandescent light

Glowing filament bulb

An incandescent light produces illumination by heating a filament until it glows white-hot.

The technology dominated artificial lighting for over a century before being largely replaced by more efficient alternatives.

The term also distinguishes traditional bulbs from fluorescent or LED options: The bathroom still has incandescent lights.

Related

Edison · tungsten · Thomas Edison · yellow · soft · dim · bright · watt · dimmer switch · socket · lamp · heat · cozy · vintage · old fashioned · amber · flicker · screw

Categories
Opposites
lighting technology type

incandescent lightLED light

Semiconductor-based illumination device

fluorescent light · LED bulb · fluorescent tube · compact fluorescent · CFL

light source origin

incandescent lightsunlight

Radiance from our star

natural light · daylight · moonlight · starlight · firelight

energy efficiency

incandescent lightenergy-efficient lighting

Light sources minimizing power use

LED light · LED

Family

incandescent, incandescence, incandescently, candle, candelabra, chandelier, light, lights, lighted

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G