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 means sign-language interpreters in classrooms, learning materials for visually impaired students, trained teachers and digital platforms designed with different users in mind.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
The team also explored whether it is possible to visually tell apart real microplastics from stearate particles.
From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026
Without getting wet, we meet at the VR theater, put on some scuba gear and/or viewing gear and the screen takes us underwater visually so we “dive together.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
His best-known series of sculptures, “Future Relics,” is visually arresting, featuring crumbling, ruin-like replicas of everyday objects including cameras, phones and CD players.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Anne Leigh, the art director, laid out visually sumptuous pages.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
