visual

American  

[vizh-oo-uhl] / ˈvɪʒ u əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to seeing or sight.

   a visual image.

2. used in seeing.

   the visual sense.

3. optical.

4. perceptible by the sense of sight; visible.

   a visual beauty.

5. perceptible by the mind; of the nature of a mental vision.

   a visual impression captured in a line of verse.

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noun

1. Usually visuals.

   1. the picture elements, as distinguished from the sound elements, in films, television, etc.

   2. photographs, slides, films, charts, or other visual materials, especially as used for illustration or promotion.

2. a rough, preliminary sketch of an advertising layout, showing possible arrangements of material.

3. any item or element depending on the sense of sight.

visual British  

/ -zjʊ-, ˈvɪʒʊəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, done by, or used in seeing

   visual powers

   visual steering

2. another word for optical

3. capable of being seen; visible

4. of, occurring as, or induced by a mental image

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noun

1. a sketch to show the proposed layout of an advertisement, as in a newspaper

2. (often plural) a photograph, film, or other display material

Other Word Forms

• nonvisual adjective
• subvisual adjective
• supervisual adjective
• supervisually adverb
• unvisual adjective
• unvisually adverb
• visually adverb

Etymology

Origin of visual

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin vīsuālis, from vīsu(s) “sight” (noun use of past participle of vidēre “to see”) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Other acts include Major Lazer, indie-pop band Foster the People and British singer, dancer, and visual artist FKA twigs.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Simon Stone’s incisive production, first mounted in Aix, makes visual how the complex strands of the two stories wind together, mirroring the opera’s varied pacing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

“Gentle massage of these areas is believed to help promote blood circulation, relax the muscles responsible for focusing and relieve visual fatigue,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The visual tool, developed by Medical iSight, aims to help patients make sense of complex procedures.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

In the visual arts, style means the particular way in which the forms that make up any given work of art are chosen and fitted together.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson