visual

1 of 2

adjective

vi·​su·​al ˈvi-zhə-wəl How to pronounce visual (audio)
-zhəl;
ˈvizh-wəl
1
: of, relating to, or used in vision
visual organs
2
: attained or maintained by sight
visual impressions
3
: visible
visual objects
4
: producing mental images : vivid
5
: done or executed by sight only
visual navigation
6
: of, relating to, or employing visual aids
visually
ˈvi-zhə-wə-lē How to pronounce visual (audio)
-zhə-lē;
ˈvizh-wə-lē
adverb

visual

2 of 2

noun

: something (such as a graphic) that appeals to the sight and is used for effect or illustration
usually used in plural

Examples of visual in a Sentence

Adjective color, shape, and other visual attributes She appreciates the visual arts such as painting and film. Maps are a visual tool for learning. Noun Should I include some visuals in my presentation? a film director known for his powerful visuals
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The seasoned artisan recruited the help of locals in Budapest and jewelry makers in the Middle East to tell a visual story through costume, particularly with the female characters in the film. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 There are four rounds including general knowledge, music, true or false and a visual quiz. Jody MacE, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 The city's penchant for the arts doesn't stop at just visual works, the craft beer and culinary scenes also benefit from an influx of creative talent. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 The director’s control of tonal and visual storytelling, his meticulous attention to detail and his bone-chilling use of sound make this a uniquely disturbing experience. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Music and concert experiences are reimagined by an array of curators and collaborators, often employing elements of theater, dance and visual media to add new dimensions of color and texture to the total experience. The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024 The geometric pattern creates plenty of visual interest without being too distracting. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Also, the visual understanding of the most powerful AI models is still much weaker than that of most humans. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Adopting a few basic work design principles and adding some visual management techniques have unlocked the ability of our team to deliver meaningful results with less effort than traditional work structures by incorporating modern digital tools and connections to communicate. Eric Waller, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
After all, while these fantastical spaces can be dreamed up in the blink of an eye, these visuals are not based in the reality of a tight budget or structural limitations. Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The loopy visuals are relentless, and the final act is an apex Community heart-brain that ties together family, friendship, the meaning of Christmas, the meaning of meanings, and an unexpectedly sweet homage to the Lost season 1 DVD. Chancellor Agard, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Ok, this might be merely an artist's rendering rather than an actual image, but the visual is no less incredible. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 The visual was filmed at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and directed by Torso. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 The visuals are still immense, but this time around, the film must stand on its own, without the benefit of pandemic-era bonus points. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 The difference between Thrones and Avatar is that there were no visuals that went along with Thrones, so that was the extra challenge. Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Many marketing companies pitch their service with fancy hooks that sound good and chart out fancy tables and data visuals on how effective digital marketing is and its ROIs. Micah Logan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The findings that seniors in their 80s and 90s enjoy VR less than those in their 70s might lead to changes for them such as requiring less neck rotation to see all of the scenery and making the visuals bigger, Moore said. Terry Spencer, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin visualis, from Latin visus sight, from vidēre to see

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of visual was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near visual

Cite this Entry

“Visual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visual. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

visual

1 of 2 adjective
vi·​su·​al ˈvizh-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce visual (audio)
ˈvizh-əl
1
: of, relating to, or used in vision
visual organs
2
: received by sight
visual impressions
3
: visible sense 1
visual objects
4
: of, relating to, or using visual aids
a visual presentation
visually adverb

visual

2 of 2 noun
: something (as a picture, chart, or film) that appeals to the sight and is used to illustrate, demonstrate, or advertise
usually used in plural

Medical Definition

visual

adjective
1
: of, relating to, or used in vision
visual organs
2
: attained or maintained by sight
visual impressions

More from Merriam-Webster on visual

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