optical

adjective op·ti·cal \ ˈäp-ti-kəl \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: optical in a Sentence

Definition of optical

1 : of or relating to the science of optics

2 a : of or relating to vision : visual

b : visible 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

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optically

play \ˈäp-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See optical defined for English-language learners

See optical defined for kids

Examples of optical in a Sentence

The company manufactures microscopes, telescopes, and other optical instruments.
an optical illusion that fools most people

Recent Examples of optical from the Web

The $29 foundation has a lightweight texture, and creates an natural, airbrushed finish thanks to optical blurring spheres.

— karina hoshikawa, Teen Vogue, "Benefit Launches Hello Happy Soft Matte Foundation," 8 June 2018
Ventura also said there are 130 children waiting to get eye exams, glasses or other optical treatments, key for being able to attend school.

— Washington Post, "Some Brazil ‘Zika kids’ try school, others fight to survive," 7 June 2018
The box for the Beam will also include an optical audio adapter to fit with older television models.

— zack ruskin, Billboard, "Sonos Integrating Siri, Alexa & More Virtual Assistants for Simultaneous Use With New Beam Smart Speaker," 6 June 2018
For TVs that don’t, though, Sonos says the Beam will come with an adapter that connects the device to a TV’s optical audio port and converts that audio to HDMI.

— jeff dunn, Ars Technica, "Sonos launches a new mini soundbar, pegs AirPlay 2 support for July," 6 June 2018
The company is also benefiting from the growing use of cameras in cars to support safety functions, as well as the use of optical components in drones.

— Fortune, "A 9,500% Stock Surge Turns Janitors Into Millionaires," 5 June 2018
In addition to the 4K resolution, there’s support for the HDR10 standard, two built-in 7-watt speakers, optical audio, HDMI, and Bluetooth.

— chaim gartenberg, The Verge, "LG’s first 4K projector will cost $3,000," 5 June 2018
The Sequence's optical mechanical registers contact by breaking a beam of light.

— gordon mah ung, PCWorld, "HP's self-cooling Mindframe headset leads a new pack of high-end gaming accessories," 30 May 2018
For the Google residency, the company teamed up with Tyler Henry, who, with a Kinect camera, used optical flow, which tracks movement, to recast the solo.

— New York Times, "In the Dance Lab With Martha Graham," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'optical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of optical

1570

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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optical Synonyms

OPTICAL Defined for English Language Learners

optical

adjective

Definition of optical for English Language Learners

: used to help a person see
: relating to or using light
: involving the use of devices that get information for a computer by identifying patterns of light