visually
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of visually
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at visual, -ly
Explanation
The adverb visually means "related to the sense of sight." For a kids' book to be visually interesting, it has to have illustrations to look at, and not just words. If a person is visually impaired, their ability to see is limited. And if an art exhibit is visually overwhelming, there's just too much for your eyes to take in at once. A critic who describes a movie as "visually stunning" simply means it's very nice to look at. Visually comes from the adjective visual and its Latin root, videre, "to see."
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.
This suggests that the treatment restored functional light perception strongly enough to produce natural, visually guided behavior.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
The chicken is visually distinct from what I’ve historically known a chicken tender to look like.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
A visually stunning stretch of Highway 1 in Big Sur has reopened to travelers after a 12-day closure, even as firefighters continue to battle the persistent Timber fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Because I am visually impaired, I dictate my thoughts, have AI convert them into written text, and then listen as it reads my words back so I can revise and edit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
“These are wonderful. The details are so thoughtful, so visually interesting.”
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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.
