vis·i·ble
ˈvi-zə-bəl 
1
a
: capable of being seen
stars visible to the naked eye
b
: situated in the region of the electromagnetic spectrum perceptible to human vision
visible light
—used of radiation having a wavelength between about 400 nanometers and 700 nanometers
2
a
: exposed to view
the visible horizon
b(1)
: conspicuous
has played a highly visible role in the negotiations
(2)
: well-known
a highly visible politician
3
: capable of being discovered or perceived : recognizable
no visible means of support
4
: accessible sense 2
visible resources
5
: devised to keep a particular part or item always in full view or readily seen or referred to
a visible index
visibleness
noun
plural visibles
: a visible person or thing : someone or something that can be seen or perceived
He achieved important results in both these endeavors, which, being visible, have received ample notice as the visibles of history usually do …—
Barbara W. Tuchman
Barbara W. TuchmanSynonyms
Examples of visible in a Sentence
Adjective
The ship was not visible through the fog.
The ship was barely visible.
The patient showed no visible symptoms.
There was a visible change in his mood.
They played a highly visible role in the negotiations.
Recent Examples on the WebJessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
About a dozen school police officers were visible at the base of the tower.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Last fall, the deaths of locals mounted, and residents sought a visible commemoration of loss to go beyond the daily church services that drew dozens of faithful.
—Natalia Yermak Brendan Hoffman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Police reviewed residential security videos and one showed a pickup truck in the alley near the victim’s Macalester-Groveland residence at the time of the attack, and five of six license plate characters were visible.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Plays like that are a visible sign that Lundell’s confidence is beginning to match his skill level and a reminder that Lundell can rise to play as a top-six forward when given the chance.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
And indeed the issues at most pharmacies, where the impact of the hack was particularly immediate, urgent, and visible—patients couldn’t get their medications in many cases—had been resolved within the first week.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
There's more than the three most visible Ms in the logo.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Instead of reporting the leak, Falaschi allegedly told his employee to install a gate that could be opened and closed, to put a lock on that gate, and to do it all in such a way that the setup wasn’t easily visible.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
About a dozen school police officers were visible at the base of the tower.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Last fall, the deaths of locals mounted, and residents sought a visible commemoration of loss to go beyond the daily church services that drew dozens of faithful.
—Natalia Yermak Brendan Hoffman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Police reviewed residential security videos and one showed a pickup truck in the alley near the victim’s Macalester-Groveland residence at the time of the attack, and five of six license plate characters were visible.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Plays like that are a visible sign that Lundell’s confidence is beginning to match his skill level and a reminder that Lundell can rise to play as a top-six forward when given the chance.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
And indeed the issues at most pharmacies, where the impact of the hack was particularly immediate, urgent, and visible—patients couldn’t get their medications in many cases—had been resolved within the first week.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
There's more than the three most visible Ms in the logo.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near visible
Cite this Entry
“Visible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visible. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
visible
adjective
vis·i·ble
ˈviz-ə-bəl
1
: capable of being seen
stars visible to the naked eye
2
: easily seen or understood : obvious
no visible means of support
Medical Definition
visible
adjective
vis·i·ble
ˈviz-ə-bəl
1
: capable of being seen : perceptible to vision
particulates visible to the naked eye
2
: situated in the visible spectrum
visible light
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