optical

American  

[op-ti-kuhl] / ˈɒp tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or applying optics optics or the principles of optics.

2. constructed to assist sight or to correct defects in vision.

3. of or relating to sight or vision; visual.

4. of or relating to the eye.

5. of or relating to an optician or opticians or to their products, especially eyeglasses.

   an optical service.

6. dealing with or skilled in optics.

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noun

1. opticals. optical effects.

optical British  

/ ˈɒptɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, producing, or involving light

2. of or relating to the eye or to the sense of sight; optic

3. (esp of a lens) aiding vision or correcting a visual disorder

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optical Scientific  

/ ŏp′tĭ-kəl /

1. Relating to vision or the eyes.

2. Relating to optics.

3. Relating to or using visible light.

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Other Word Forms

• nonoptical adjective
• nonoptically adverb
• optically adverb
• suboptical adjective
• suboptically adverb

Etymology

Origin of optical

First recorded in 1560–70; optic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Pilots often experience an optical illusion of a passing object that can make it appear to be traveling at great speed even if it is barely moving, officials have said.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was just an optical illusion, just because I was running, just because I’m worried about whoever made that cry or whimper.

From Literature

The system relies on SHG, a nonlinear optical phenomenon in which incoming light is converted into light with half the wavelength.

From Science Daily

Two-dimensional materials have attracted intense interest because of their unusual electronic and optical properties.

From Science Daily

To capture these changes, the scientists used an advanced optical imaging technique that tracks neural activity across the entire surface of the brain in real time.

From Science Daily