Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

ocular

American  
[ok-yuh-ler] / ˈɒk yə lər /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or for the eyes.

    ocular movements.

  2. of the nature of an eye.

    an ocular organ.

  3. performed or perceived by the eye or eyesight.


noun

  1. Optics. eyepiece.

ocular British  
/ ˈɒkjʊlə /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the eye

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. another name for eyepiece

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ocular Scientific  
/ ŏkyə-lər /
  1. Of or relating to the eye or the sense of vision.


  1. The eyepiece of a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of ocular

1565–75; < Latin oculāris, equivalent to ocul ( us ) eye + -āris -ar 1

Explanation

Ocular things have something to do with eyes or seeing. If you have what your doctor describes as "ocular pain," it means your eye hurts. The word ocular is a medical term meaning "of the eye." An ocular nerve connects to the eye, and an ocular specialist is an eye doctor. If you get an ocular exam, you'll have your vision tested or your eyes examined. If you get ocular damage from a stray baseball, you've got a hurt eyeball. Ocular comes from a Latin root, oculus, "an eye."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing ocular

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Through my research into ocular disease and autophagy, a theme emerged, of normally robust immune systems quietly breaking down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

You can get a replacement heart, ocular lens, liver, knee, hip, kidney, why not an ear — or the delicate bones inside it?

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2024

The researchers analysed data from more than 126,000 participants aged 40 to 69 years old from the UK Biobank cohort, who had undergone ocular examination.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

The authors of this review concluded: “Saffron supplementation appears to have promising potential as an effective and safe adjunct therapy in certain ocular diseases” including AMD.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024

The ocular pectin in their eyes had developed.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "ocular" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com