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 makes so much sense that the room is called the Box now, visually.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
“In some cases, we are going to be investing in reconfiguring the venues so we can do things that will be exciting visually and experientially for the audience.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
It certainly proved that way during the sitting event, which followed the visually impaired and standing races: 18 athletes from a field of 37 failed to make it to the bottom of the course.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, more visually appealing insect groups such as butterflies and dragonflies receive a disproportionate share of conservation protections.
From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 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.
