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
Opt for a detergent designed for whites or one that contains optical brighteners.
—
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Albert Michelson followed in 1907 with his precision optical experiments.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
PacBio’s machines rely on an optical rather than an electronic means of identifying the bases.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Semtech — The signal components maker rallied 8% after the company announced the launch of new optical receivers for artificial intelligence networks alongside Poet Technologies.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Albert Michelson followed in 1907 with his precision optical experiments.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
PacBio’s machines rely on an optical rather than an electronic means of identifying the bases.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Semtech — The signal components maker rallied 8% after the company announced the launch of new optical receivers for artificial intelligence networks alongside Poet Technologies.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 30 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 10 Oct. 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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