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

The latest collection from men’s creative director Pharrell Williams continues to lean heavily into that visual identity on bags, puffer jackets and sunglasses.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

“We just need to be a little more proactive, a little more visual, a little more telling about how things could be.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Prior to joining the Journal, Dave was a freelance visual journalist in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

VLA models take in visual data from cameras and instructions from language, then translate that information into real-world actions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

There were AP classes and academies—public health, visual arts, environmental science.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater