visibility

American  

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

noun

visibilities plural

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

Derived Forms

• intervisibility
  noun
• nonvisibility
  noun
• previsibility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• visibilities
  plural

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

See Examples For:

visibility visibilities

Burnham said on Monday that he was "just kind of showing I have visibility of the issue and the impact it's had."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Additionally, Arya said improved visibility into a multiyear cycle for AI infrastructure supports his expectations for the wafer fab equipment market to reach $190 billion in revenue in 2027, and $250 billion in 2028.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Windy conditions were generating whitecaps on the water, making visibility challenging for rescuers on Tuesday evening, Crispen said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

A 1929 Hollywood biopic starring George Arliss helped turn Disraeli into a figure of cultural visibility beyond Britain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

On Fly’s camera, I see that his visibility is even worse than that of my cameras.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

“Blowing and driving snow with near zero visibilities possible,” the weather service said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

Regardless, confidence is growing in a jackpot zone of at least 12 to 18 inches of snow, which will coincide with strong winds to yield visibilities below a quarter-mile, or whiteout conditions.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 19, 2022

In addition to the fire and wind damage risk from high winds, areas of blowing dust may reduce visibilities to near zero, creating hazardous driving conditions.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2021

I think that there has been a shift that is less law and legislation than shifts in consciousness and visibilities, and that will have consequences.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 8, 2018

Always we were talking of the two visibilities, high and low.

From My Second Year of the War by Palmer, Frederick