invisible

[in-viz-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not visible; not perceptible by the eye.

   invisible fluid.

2. withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden.

   an invisible seam.

   Synonyms: obscure, veiled

3. not perceptible or discernible by the mind.

   invisible differences.

4. not ordinarily found in financial statements or reflected in statistics or a listing.

   Goodwill is an invisible asset to a business.

5. concealed from public knowledge.

noun

1. an invisible thing or being.

2. the invisible, the unseen or spiritual world.

invisible

/ ɪnˈvɪzəbəl /

adjective

1. not visible; not able to be perceived by the eye

   invisible rays

2. concealed from sight; hidden

3. not easily seen or noticed

   invisible mending

4. kept hidden from public view; secret; clandestine

5. economics of or relating to services rather than goods in relation to the invisible balance

   invisible earnings

noun

1. economics an invisible item of trade; service

Other Word Forms

• invisibility noun
• invisibleness noun
• invisibly adverb
• quasi-invisible adjective
• quasi-invisibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of invisible¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word invīsibilis. See in- ³, visible

Example Sentences

At the same time though, they also noted that countless more remain invisible to the official figures – and that the true scale of the issue is likely much bigger than even the record-breaking numbers suggest.

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"She just sliced through like she had an invisible cloak on. Oh my gosh, what a wonder try."

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It is not the first time the federal government has rendered suffering invisible.

Read more on Salon

“So there’s Paul Williams, a Black architect who was invisible in plain sight, and most of L.A. doesn’t know that he made so many structures here.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"This is about me talking in front of crowds of people in conferences, in hospitality, about accessibility for people with invisible disabilities like myself," he said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• imperceptible 
• microscopic 
• unseen