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’s a visually stunning, wildly propulsive and tragic thriller that’s worth a watch.
From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026
Dr Oscar, who is visually impaired, will need a guide runner for the official run, and our very own Gethin Jones has stepped up to the job.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
These numbers, provided exclusively to me, are from open-source data, and each strike has been visually confirmed and geolocated, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Michael Arden, who won a Tony for directing last year’s best musical winner, “Maybe Happy Ending,” infuses his visually spectacular production of “The Lost Boys” with a refreshing 21st century sensitivity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The oldest of the prisons is the Kansas State Penitentiary for Men, a turreted black-and-white palace that visually distinguishes an otherwise ordinary rural town, Lansing.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
