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.
“It was very futuristic and just visually different than anything that I’d ever done before. And it’s so rare that you get the opportunity to be so expressive and to be so big on screen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
In Champagne, producer Claude Mandois reported harvesting three-quarters of an average yield in terms of volume although "in terms of quality visually and in terms of taste we had an exceptional harvest."
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The 33-year-old from England’s south coast calculated the upfront cost of his preferred version of the Chinese sport-utility vehicle at the equivalent of around $50,000, half the price of a visually similar Range Rover model.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The British Museum says it will provide an audio-described tour of the Bayeux Tapestry after a blind man threatened legal action over a lack of access for visually impaired visitors.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Eleven was a number that was visually even, but functionally not—it looked one way and behaved in quite another.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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