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
At the claimed range, this would likely mean the Chinese pilot would have been able to not only see the foreign aircraft, but may also have been able to identify the pilot (using its optical zoom equipment).
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Unlike blue or white, which can double down on or reflect the blue light of your computer screen, green absorbs it, cutting down on the optical chaos you’re subjected to all day long.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
The national lab has a wide array of laboratories working within it, including sites focused on research in advanced optical materials, fuel synthesis catalysis, hydrogen safety sensor testing, renewable fuels and lubricants and solar radiation.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2026
That optical and mechanical foundation is combined with digital elements to form AWOL's proprietary PixelLock technology.
—New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Unlike blue or white, which can double down on or reflect the blue light of your computer screen, green absorbs it, cutting down on the optical chaos you’re subjected to all day long.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
The national lab has a wide array of laboratories working within it, including sites focused on research in advanced optical materials, fuel synthesis catalysis, hydrogen safety sensor testing, renewable fuels and lubricants and solar radiation.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2026
That optical and mechanical foundation is combined with digital elements to form AWOL's proprietary PixelLock technology.
—New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2026
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 Feb. 2026.
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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