visual

[vizh-oo-uhl]

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.

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

/ -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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of visual¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of visual¹

C15: from Late Latin vīsuālis, from Latin vīsus sight, from vidēre to see

Example Sentences

“At around 4:24 p.m., a US Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean but due to the high surf, lost visual,” parks officials said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Senior curator Melissa Blanchflower says the Margate gallery is "inviting the public to come and have this visual experience" and nothing replaces "being in front of the painting".

Read more on BBC

Blind cricket uses a plastic ball with metal bearings that makes a sound, and players are classified depending on their level of visual impairment.

Read more on BBC

The style Matthiessen conjures is almost visual, with fragments of scene description and lines of unattributed dialogue arranged on the page like solitary brushstrokes or like breakers of spume on the open sea.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His images reward the curious viewer—one willing to be catalyzed by Mr. Winter’s visual storytelling.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal