visual
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to seeing or sight.
a visual image.
-
used in seeing.
the visual sense.
-
perceptible by the sense of sight; visible.
a visual beauty.
-
perceptible by the mind; of the nature of a mental vision.
a visual impression captured in a line of verse.
noun
-
Usually visuals.
-
the picture elements, as distinguished from the sound elements, in films, television, etc.
-
photographs, slides, films, charts, or other visual materials, especially as used for illustration or promotion.
-
-
a rough, preliminary sketch of an advertising layout, showing possible arrangements of material.
-
any item or element depending on the sense of sight.
adjective
-
of, relating to, done by, or used in seeing
visual powers
visual steering
-
another word for optical
-
capable of being seen; visible
-
of, occurring as, or induced by a mental image
noun
-
a sketch to show the proposed layout of an advertisement, as in a newspaper
-
(often plural) a photograph, film, or other display material
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
If you want to know the meaning of visual, just look around! Anything you can see falls under the heading of visual. What "aural" is to the ears and "olfactory" is to the nose, visual is to the eyes. It's often said that "film is a visual medium"; it uses pictures to tell a story. You have to see it to get it. That's clearly different from, say, radio which can only use audio. Have you ever closed your eyes while watching a cartoon? If you cut out the visual parts and just listen to the music and sound effects, it's often even funnier. As zany as the sounds are, they're even funnier when you separate them from their visual cues. Visual shares its root with vision, which is (not surprisingly) the ability to see. How visual!
Vocabulary lists containing visual
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 15
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lesson 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Or scrub it clean and build afresh, trusting that Jewish memory doesn’t need harsh visual aids to remain vigilant?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
As with all Sphere acts, that visual wattage can absolutely grip you, or it can feel using a flamethrower to grill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
The images have the visual grammar of food photography without much evidence that food has ever been involved.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
"I know the visual difference is temporary... But I do like how I look and feel afterwards so it'll always be a part of my routine."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
It’s a reminder that theater is the original visual medium, elaborate playtime with costumes, makeup, and scenery—an exercise in tricking an audience, as much as possible, into believing that what they are seeing is real.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
