visibility

American  

[viz-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌvɪz əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the state or fact of being visible.

2. the relative ability to be seen under given conditions of distance, light, atmosphere, etc..

   low visibility due to fog.

3. Also called visual range.  Meteorology. the distance at which a given standard object can be seen and identified with the unaided eye.

4. the ability to give a relatively large range of unobstructed vision.

   a windshield with good visibility.

5. Typography. legibility.

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visibility British  

/ ˌvɪzɪˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition or fact of being visible

2. clarity of vision or relative possibility of seeing

3. the range of vision

   visibility is 500 yards

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Other Word Forms

• intervisibility noun
• nonvisibility noun
• previsibility noun

Etymology

Origin of visibility

1575–85; < Late Latin vīsibilitās, equivalent to Latin vīsibili ( s ) visible + -tās -ty ²

Explanation

Use the noun visibility to describe how well you can see something, like the great visibility from the top of a mountain on a clear day. In addition to meaning "how well you can see," visibility can also mean "how well others can see something." So, the reflective stripes on your running pants give you visibility in the dark because they help other people see you. Another kind of visibility is being in the public eye, like an actor whose visibility helps him land roles in movies and promote the causes he cares about, like literacy or helping endangered animals.

Example Sentences

Because of their size and visibility, plant cells serve as a useful system for studying how peroxisomes work.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2026

TUI said the continuing conflict in the Middle East, as well as uncertainty surrounding its duration, continued to limit near-term visibility and was driving consumer caution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The probe includes Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music and concerns alleged undisclosed financial arrangements’ to boost visibility.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Singh sees a direct line between the visibility of Punjabi artists and the awareness of their culture among young people in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

But in that brief span the storm abruptly metastasized into a full-blown hurricane, and the visibility dropped to less than twenty feet.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer