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
The research is not over With lasers, beam delivery, and optical control now working on chips, the researchers are close to replicating an entire optical table in miniature form.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
Since then, cooling atoms and trapping them has become a cottage industry, giving rise to optical atomic clocks, atomic navigation systems, and neutral-atom quantum computers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
The motif was also integrated into new prints in combination with other Jardini signatures, such as strings of pearls or the fun motif of a hen, including a special version of the animal wearing black optical frames just like the designer’s own.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
There's a noticeable drop off in picture quality at the minimum f/16 aperture; optical diffraction softens the output, and the lens scores in the low register for the sensor, around 2,400 lines.
—PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
Since then, cooling atoms and trapping them has become a cottage industry, giving rise to optical atomic clocks, atomic navigation systems, and neutral-atom quantum computers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
The motif was also integrated into new prints in combination with other Jardini signatures, such as strings of pearls or the fun motif of a hen, including a special version of the animal wearing black optical frames just like the designer’s own.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
There's a noticeable drop off in picture quality at the minimum f/16 aperture; optical diffraction softens the output, and the lens scores in the low register for the sensor, around 2,400 lines.
—PC Magazine, 23 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 30 Sep. 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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