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 withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden: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

Derived Forms

• inˈvisibly, adverb
• inˌvisiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• in·visi·bili·ty in·visi·ble·ness noun
• in·visi·bly adverb
• quasi-in·visi·ble adjective
• quasi-in·visi·bly 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

One of the effects of the pandemic was to shine a light on millions of citizens who were in fact previously invisible to the government.

From MIT Technology Review

Filled in by 400 years of erosion and covered by topsoil and grass, the pre-Columbian earthwork shows up in thermal imaging but is otherwise nearly invisible from above.

From Ars Technica

The post Google’s search terms move will make millions in ad spend invisible to advertisers appeared first on Search Engine Land.

From Search Engine Land

By soaking up almost all light that hits their skin, these fish are almost invisible.

From Science News For Students

That’s a lightweight particle that has the potential to explain dark matter, an invisible type of matter thought to permeate the universe.

From Science News

Return fraud has been called the invisible heist—or “de-shopping.”

From The Daily Beast

No matter what Hitchcock said, what he did was to photograph our fears and make palpable the invisible.

From The Daily Beast

Other panelists rallied to the cause of “the invisible woman”—the second and generally anonymous egg donor.

From The Daily Beast

They must, in every sense, be cast out—their shame is to be made invisible.

From The Daily Beast

He was a magician, an invisible teller of tales with the power to make my sides ache without telling a single joke.

From The Daily Beast

Their Chateau en Espagne seemed invisible, as such chateaux usually are; and where it might be found, who was there to tell?

From Project Gutenberg

Aristide picked it up and began to dance and shake his fist at the invisible police.

From Project Gutenberg

This fear of the invisible world, so inherent in simple natures, has been implanted for a wise purpose.

From Project Gutenberg

Some of the latter were so diaphanous as to be perfectly invisible when immersed in the water.

From Project Gutenberg

It is characteristic of chemical science that it takes account of actions which are almost entirely invisible.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• imperceptible
• microscopic
• unseen