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
Efficient electrical-to-optical transducers can also find use in data centers that support everything from artificial intelligence (AI) to online services.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The company announced new transceivers and software for optical cables this week.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
In this case, the optical flare of the TDE was spotted in 2024 by the Zwicky Transient Facility on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory in California.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
The ambidextrous mouse is similarly straightforward, equipped with two buttons, a scroll wheel, and an optical sensor.
—PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The company announced new transceivers and software for optical cables this week.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
In this case, the optical flare of the TDE was spotted in 2024 by the Zwicky Transient Facility on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory in California.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
The ambidextrous mouse is similarly straightforward, equipped with two buttons, a scroll wheel, and an optical sensor.
—PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 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 20 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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