legible

adjective

leg·​i·​ble ˈle-jə-bəl 

1

: capable of being read or deciphered : plain

legible handwriting

2

: capable of being discovered or understood

… murder sweltered in his heart and was legible upon his face.

—Thomas Wolfe

legibility

ˌle-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

legibly

ˈle-jə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of legible

• understandable
• accessible

Examples of legible in a Sentence

The document is not legible.

an anxious mood that was clearly legible upon her face

Recent Examples on the Web

One detail makes the strategy legible. —Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Systems art challenged the very social system that defined what art is—and in so doing, ceased to be easily legible as art at all. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026

Only then did the problem become legible to the room full of physicians. —Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

On The Real Housewives, wealth is less a status symbol than a performance requirement—something that must be continually maintained to remain legible within the franchise’s economy of excess. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin legibilis, from Latin legere to read

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legible

• illegible

Kids Definition

legible

adjective

leg·​i·​ble ˈlej-ə-bəl 

: capable of being read : plain

legible handwriting

legibility

ˌlej-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

legibly

ˈlej-ə-blē 

adverb