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
In Tuesday's interview and Monday's keynote, Jensen talked about copper wires remaining in server racks, which is a ding on the optical component stocks.
—
Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Bring the camera up to your eye and peer through the optical viewfinder to set your frame, and press the shutter button to take a photo.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026
The company — founded by engineer Wayne Earl, who helped to develop one of the first optical sorters used on tomato harvesters — moved to Woodland in the 1980s to be closer to agricultural equipment manufacturers, according to the firm.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said in January that Turkey had hardened its border with Iran by adding 236 miles of concrete walls, 203 optical towers and 43 observation posts.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Bring the camera up to your eye and peer through the optical viewfinder to set your frame, and press the shutter button to take a photo.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026
The company — founded by engineer Wayne Earl, who helped to develop one of the first optical sorters used on tomato harvesters — moved to Woodland in the 1980s to be closer to agricultural equipment manufacturers, according to the firm.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said in January that Turkey had hardened its border with Iran by adding 236 miles of concrete walls, 203 optical towers and 43 observation posts.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical
Cite this Entry
“Optical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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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