visibility

[ viz-uh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌvɪz əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR visibility ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or fact of being visible.

the relative ability to be seen under given conditions of distance, light, atmosphere, etc.: low visibility due to fog.

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

the ability to give a relatively large range of unobstructed vision: a windshield with good visibility.

Typography. legibility(def 2).

RELATED WORDS

clarity

Nearby words

Origin of visibility

1575–85; < Late Latin vīsibilitās, equivalent to Latin vīsibili(s) visible + -tās -ty²

Related formsin·ter·vis·i·bil·i·ty, nounnon·vis·i·bil·i·ty, noun, plural non·vis·i·bil·i·ties.pre·vis·i·bil·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for visibility

Christina, who writes about these issues frequently at her website, says that the importance of visibility is a major concern.
Anna Paquin’s Bisexuality for Dummies|Amanda Marcotte|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Asked how she would continue to fight injustice, Byarugaba argued that visibility was a weapon of its own.
At Women in the World, the Reality of Uganda’s Brutal Gay Ban|Andrew Romano|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The visibility in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, was measured at less than 656 feet.
Smog Overtakes North-Eastern China||October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Why not, one might ask, given the drama and visibility of intra-party fighting in Likud, Labor, and Kadima.
Welcome Back, Aryeh Deri|Brent E. Sasley|May 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Besides, as you mention, it's hard to get visibility on what college will cost in 15 years.
First World Financial Problems|Megan McArdle|March 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The visibility is fine—very few clouds—but this whole half of it is solid ocean.
Skylark Three|Edward Elmer Smith
The irregular skyline of a ship is perhaps one of the most influential factors which tend to increase its visibility.
Visual Illusions|Matthew Luckiesh
The visibility at this time can hardly have amounted to a yard—the forecastle was invisible from the bridge.
The Blocking of Zeebrugge|Alfred F. B. Carpenter
Crouching low, he struck down the arm, seized it, and dragged the girl out of the zone of visibility.
Triplanetary|Edward Elmer Smith
The breadth of each of these remarkable channels may range from the limits of visibility, say, up to more than sixty miles.
The Story of the Heavens|Robert Stawell Ball

British Dictionary definitions for visibility

visibility

/ (ˌvɪzɪˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun

the condition or fact of being visible

clarity of vision or relative possibility of seeing

the range of visionvisibility is 500 yards

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 visibility

visibility

c.1400, "condition of being visible," from Late Latin visibilitas (see visible). Meaning "range of vision under given conditions" is from 1914. Sense of "prominence, fame, public attention" is recorded from 1958.

visibility

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of visibility

Examples from the Web for visibility

visibility

noun

visibility