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
On a hillside in Osage County, Arthur's employee Dan Caldwell sets up an optical gas imaging camera, an expensive machine that makes invisible gas leaks visible.
—
Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
Photograph Of The Year Winners Anti crepuscular rays at Cono de Arita in La Puna, Argentina create an atmospheric optical phenomenon that appears as beams of light converging towards a point opposite the sun in the sky.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
The task of building such a device was given to the German optical company Carl Zeiss AG.
—Martin Bush, Space.com, 5 July 2025
Nearly a dozen game design workers in the state were part of the layoffs, along with three audio designers, two mechanical engineers, one optical engineer and one lab technician, according to a document Microsoft submitted to Washington employment officials.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
Photograph Of The Year Winners Anti crepuscular rays at Cono de Arita in La Puna, Argentina create an atmospheric optical phenomenon that appears as beams of light converging towards a point opposite the sun in the sky.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
The task of building such a device was given to the German optical company Carl Zeiss AG.
—Martin Bush, Space.com, 5 July 2025
Nearly a dozen game design workers in the state were part of the layoffs, along with three audio designers, two mechanical engineers, one optical engineer and one lab technician, according to a document Microsoft submitted to Washington employment officials.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 3 July 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 11 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share