optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl 
1
: of or relating to the science of optics
2
a
: of or relating to vision : visual
b
: visible sense 1
optical wavelength
c
: of, relating to, or being objects that emit light in the visible range of frequencies
an optical galaxy
d
: using the properties of light to aid vision
an optical instrument
3
a
: of, relating to, or utilizing light especially instead of other forms of energy
optical microscopy
b
: involving the use of light-sensitive devices to acquire information for a computer
optical character recognition
4
: of or relating to optical art
Examples of optical in a Sentence
The company manufactures microscopes, telescopes, and other optical instruments.
an optical illusion that fools most people
Recent Examples on the Web
The machine, called an analog optical computer (AOC), is designed to solve complex optimization problems and could one day handle artificial intelligence workloads with far greater speed and efficiency than today’s processors.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
Dust and sandstorms have disrupted optical tracking, weakened the laser beam and caused wear on its optics.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
The Sun, a notoriously bright object, would’ve burnt out the optical systems for Hubble and Spitzer if they were ever pointed in the Sun’s directions, so such observations were strictly forbidden.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
Sunglasses are the gorilla in eyewear trend conversations, but optical frames are coming into focus — making moves on red carpets, street style and runways alike, offering fresh ideas on how to update your frames.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
Dust and sandstorms have disrupted optical tracking, weakened the laser beam and caused wear on its optics.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025
The Sun, a notoriously bright object, would’ve burnt out the optical systems for Hubble and Spitzer if they were ever pointed in the Sun’s directions, so such observations were strictly forbidden.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
Sunglasses are the gorilla in eyewear trend conversations, but optical frames are coming into focus — making moves on red carpets, street style and runways alike, offering fresh ideas on how to update your frames.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
Cite this Entry
“Optical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl
1
: relating to optics
2
: of or relating to vision
3
a
: of, relating to, or using light
an optical telescope
b
: involving the use of a device that senses light to acquire information for a computer
an optical scanner
Medical Definition
optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl
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