optical

[op-ti-kuh l]

adjective

of, relating to, or applying optics or the principles of optics.
constructed to assist sight or to correct defects in vision.
of or relating to sight or vision; visual.

of or relating to the eye.
of or relating to an optician or opticians or to their products, especially eyeglasses: an optical service.
dealing with or skilled in optics.

noun

opticals. optical effects.

Origin of optical

First recorded in 1560–70; optic + -al¹

Related formsop·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·op·ti·cal, adjectivenon·op·ti·cal·ly, adverbsub·op·ti·cal, adjectivesub·op·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for optically

Contemporary Examples of optically

The fall of Aleppo will be hugely tragic—“psychologically and optically devastating,” says Itani.
Is Obama Done Playing Footsie With Assad?
Michael Tomasky
November 17, 2014

Historical Examples of optically

Polarizing contact-lenses—prescription or optically neutral.
Makers
Cory Doctorow
To use the scientific phrase, they are not optically continuous.
Six Lectures on Light
John Tyndall
The occurrence of hemihedral faces was considered by Pasteur to be a sufficient criterion for an optically active substance.
The Phase Rule and Its Applications
Alexander Findlay
In Fig. 111, are given diagrammatically two isothermal solubility curves for optically active substances.
The Phase Rule and Its Applications
Alexander Findlay
As, for instance, strychnine racemate, a compound of racemic acid with the optically active strychnine.
The Phase Rule and Its Applications
Alexander Findlay

British Dictionary definitions for optically

optical

adjective

of, relating to, producing, or involving light
of or relating to the eye or to the sense of sight; optic
(esp of a lens) aiding vision or correcting a visual disorder

Derived Formsoptically, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for optically

optical

adj.

1560s, from optic + -al (1). Of abstract art, from 1964. Related: Optically.

optically in Science

optical

[ŏp′tĭ-kəl]

Relating to vision or the eyes.
Relating to optics.
Relating to or using visible light.