visibility

American  

[viz-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌvɪz əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

• visibilities
  plural

1. the state or fact of being visible.

2. the relative ability to be seen under given conditions of distance, light, atmosphere, etc..

   low visibility due to fog.

3. Also called visual range. Meteorology. the distance at which a given standard object can be seen and identified with the unaided eye.

4. the ability to give a relatively large range of unobstructed vision.

   a windshield with good visibility.

5. Typography. legibility.

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visibility British  

/ ˌvɪzɪˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition or fact of being visible

2. clarity of vision or relative possibility of seeing

3. the range of vision

   visibility is 500 yards

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervisibility
  noun
• nonvisibility
  noun
• previsibility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• visibilities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of visibility

1575–85; < Late Latin vīsibilitās, equivalent to Latin vīsibili ( s ) visible + -tās -ty ²

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Explanation

Use the noun visibility to describe how well you can see something, like the great visibility from the top of a mountain on a clear day. In addition to meaning "how well you can see," visibility can also mean "how well others can see something." So, the reflective stripes on your running pants give you visibility in the dark because they help other people see you. Another kind of visibility is being in the public eye, like an actor whose visibility helps him land roles in movies and promote the causes he cares about, like literacy or helping endangered animals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

visibility visibilities

“It’s so weird that it takes up so much of my brain space, thinking about fame and visibility and money and power,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Further foggy starts are expected with some patches likely to become dense and slow to clear, potentially causing reduced visibility and travel disruption.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

But James’s visibility on Cornell has already caused complications because of remarks she made days before her appointment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Cooper argues the backlog for hyperscalers signals strong future revenue visibility and that at this stage, credit markets are not yet a canary in the coal mine.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

“Blowing and driving snow with near zero visibilities possible,” the weather service said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

Images captured at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes revealed visibilities down to barely 200 feet.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 28, 2021

I think that there has been a shift that is less law and legislation than shifts in consciousness and visibilities, and that will have consequences.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 8, 2018

“Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely,” the service said in a warning Monday morning.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 13, 2017

The German word Gemüthlichkeit, the English phrase 'a home of ancient peace,' are here alike by art and nature untranslated into visibilities.

From Sketches and Studies in Italy and Greece, Second Series by Horatio Robert Forbes Brown

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