legible

[ lej-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being read or deciphered, especially with ease, as writing or printing; easily readable.
2. capable of being discerned or distinguished:

   Anger was legible in his looks and behavior.

legible

/ ˈlɛdʒəbəl /

adjective

1. (of handwriting, print, etc) able to be read or deciphered
2. able to be discovered; discernible

Derived Forms

• ˈlegibly, adverb
• ˌlegiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• leg·i·bly adverb
• un·leg·i·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of legible¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin legibilis; equivalent to leg(ere) “to read” + -ibilis -ible

Word History and Origins

Origin of legible¹

C14: from Late Latin legibilis, from Latin legere to read

Example Sentences

So get a legible thermometer, flip on the oven light when it’s time to check and try to keep your oven door clean enough to see in.

From Washington Post

The marriage certificate, weathered and timeworn, was barely legible.

From Washington Post

There’s no effort to modernize the story, no attempt to make it easily legible to the audience.

From Vox

If they were ever going to, I knew that I would have to try harder to be legible.

From Vox

Keep things safe and delicious with an accurate and legible meat thermometer.

From Popular-Science

You can have rapport, or you can have fast, legible notes, but you cannot have both.

From The Daily Beast

We photocopied the page this very afternoon at the DC Public Library's central branch: I'm hoping the PDF below is legible.

From The Daily Beast

The whole figure is clearly legible, except for the feet, which disappear into blood-stained nothingness.

From The Daily Beast

Your next SMS will probably be around longer, and remain more legible, than your tombstone.

From The Daily Beast

Is not the religion of our ancestors legible in the very ornaments of their house?

From Project Gutenberg

His features are harsh, and something of the tyrant is legible even through the adulation of the painter.

From Project Gutenberg

A dignified smile was the only reply she made, but in the smile was legible the progress his efforts were making.

From Project Gutenberg

The writing is perfectly legible, and shows no indication of a trembling hand.

From Project Gutenberg

That commencement is marked, not merely by the words of the dying Prince, but by a great and clearly legible sign.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• coherent
• distinct
• intelligible
• lucid
• neat
• readable
• understandable