invisible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​vis·​i·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈvi-zə-bəl 

1

a

: incapable by nature of being seen : not perceptible by vision

a movie about an invisible man

invisible ultraviolet light

b

: inaccessible to view : hidden

an invisible hinge

also : not marked by outward signs

an invisible illness

c

: not openly acknowledged or made known

Had I offended him? Did I cross an invisible line?

—Denis Wilson

There are still invisible barriers and glass ceilings which discourage women from studying STEM fields …

—Forbes (online)

d

: not able to be recognized or identified

an invisible enemy/threat

… deepened their belief that invisible forces were out to control them …

—Luke Mogelson

2

: of such small size or unobtrusive quality as to be hardly noticeable : inconspicuous

an invisible scar

… offering consumers invisible braces that can straighten their smiles in a matter of months without them having to visit the orthodontist …

—Danielle Jackson

3

: not noticed or acknowledged : treated as if invisible : overlooked

To now dominate in an industry that a year ago I was invisible in … is something I unapologetically take great pride in.

—Fallon Gregory

… highlighting the narratives of society's most underserved and invisible groups.

—Kevin Varzandeh

4

a

: not appearing in published financial statements

invisible assets

b

: not reflected in statistics

Teaching English to foreign visitors is estimated to be Britain's sixth largest invisible export …

—The Economist

invisibility

(ˌ)in-ˌvi-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

invisibleness

(ˌ)in-ˈvi-zə-bəl-nəs 

noun

invisibly

(ˌ)in-ˈvi-zə-blē 

adverb

invisible

2 of 2

noun

plural invisibles

: an invisible person or thing : someone or something that cannot be seen or perceived

… the significant aspect of his reign, its failure of concern for the religious crisis, has been overlooked as the invisibles of history usually are.

—Barbara W. Tuchman

"There are too many invisibles in the ad business. It depends too much on intangible relationships and chemistry."

—Helen Ver Standig

Synonyms

Adjective

• discreet
• inconspicuous
• unnoticeable
• unobtrusive

Examples of invisible in a Sentence

Adjective

a thriller about an invisible man

With the telescope we can see details of the planet's surface that are ordinarily invisible.

She feels as if her success is being blocked by an invisible barrier.

Homelessness is no longer an invisible problem for this city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Zillow’s tool is also crucial for Hispanic families, because 15% are considered invisible in terms of credit history, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024

But then she was thrown a lifeline, helped by an invisible algorithm. —Carey L. Biron, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2024

Opponents portray these efforts as part of a campaign to enforce conservative religious beliefs in schools and to make LGBTQ+ students and their stories invisible within the school community. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Increasingly, they are also used to build other types of imaginary worlds, becoming a kind of invisible infrastructure. —Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Many brain injuries are invisible disabilities, because while people may appear normal, internally there may be battles to simply function, said Heather Pilkinton, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City. —Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024

General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. —Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

The dress also features side-seam pockets, an invisible zipper for easy on and off, and a lined bust for extra support. —Megan Schaltegger, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2024

During a total solar eclipse in 1868, a French astronomer became the first person to observe helium, spotting the element in the spectrum of the usually invisible corona. —Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin invisibilis, from in- + visibilis visible

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1635, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing invisible

• invisible hand
• invisible ink

Kids Definition

invisible

adjective

in·​vis·​i·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈviz-ə-bəl 

1

: impossible to see

sound is invisible

2

: being so small or slight as to be hardly noticeable

an invisible error

invisibility

(ˌ)in-ˌviz-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

invisibly

(ˈ)in-ˈviz-ə-blē 

adverb