Visual — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈvi-zhə-wəl/ vi·su·al

Meaning & Definition of Visual

Visual (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or used in vision
  2. attained or maintained by sight
  3. visible

Visual (noun)

  1. something (such as a graphic) that appeals to the sight and is used for effect or illustration —usually used in plural

Visual (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of, relating to, or used in vision

    "the eyes are the primary visual organs in humans"

    similar: ocular, optic, optical
    related: seeing, sighted, focusing

  2. capable of being seen

    "that funny expression was a visual hint that she was getting bored"

    similar: apparent, observable, seeable, visible
    related: viewable, detectable, discernible, noticeable, perceptible, clear, conspicuous, evident, eye-catching, manifest, obvious, overt, patent, perceivable, plain, prominent, striking, exposed, external, outer, outward, superficial
    opposite: invisible, sightless, viewless
    near: disappeared, dissolved, evanesced, evaporated, melted, vanished, vaporized, imperceptible, indiscernible, indistinct, unnoticeable, unobservable, faint, inconspicuous, insignificant, slight, unobtrusive, vague, buried, concealed, covert, disguised, hidden, latent, obscure, shrouded

  3. consisting of or relating to pictures

    "visual evidence that could be presented in court"

    similar: graphic, imaginal, pictorial
    related: photographic, video, drawn, painted, represented, illustrational, illustrative, hieroglyphic, iconographic, ideogramic, ideogrammatic, ideographic, pictographic

  4. producing a mental picture through clear and impressive description

    "accounts of Civil War battles that are so grippingly visual that the reader recoils from the sight of so much blood"

    similar: delineated, graphic, pictorial, picturesque, vivid
    related: depicted, descriptive, expressive, concrete, explicit, specific, faithful, lifelike, natural, photographic, realistic, fresh, incisive, sharp
    near: indeterminate, nebulous, obscure, sketchy, unclear, vague, bleary, blurry, dark, dim, faint, foggy, fuzzy, hazy, indefinite, indistinct, indistinguishable, muddy, murky, shadowlike, shadowy, ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic, equivocal, inscrutable, mysterious

Visual (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that visually explains or decorates a text

    "the strong visuals in the beginning biology book compensate somewhat for the weak text"

    similar: diagram, figure, graphic, illustration, plate
    related: art, artwork, drawing, illumination, image, pictogram, pictograph, picture, caption, key, legend, inset, depiction, pictorialization, portrait, portrayal, representation, clarification, elucidation, explanation, explication, exposition

Related Entry: Visual field (noun)

Visual field is a different word from Visual. The synonyms below are for visual field, not for visual.

  1. as in view, scene

    similar: command, lookout, outlook, panorama, perspective, prospect, view, vista, landscape, scene, scenery, ken, sight

Related Entry: Visual fields (noun)

Visual fields is a different word from Visual. The synonyms below are for visual fields, not for visual.

  1. as in views, scenes

    similar: commands, lookouts, outlooks, panoramas, perspectives, prospects, views, vistas, landscapes, sceneries, scenes, kens, sights

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Visual

The most common words with a similar meaning to Visual:

ocular, optic, optical, apparent, observable, seeable, visible, graphic, imaginal, pictorial, delineated, picturesque, vivid, diagram, figure, illustration, plate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Visual

Words with the opposite meaning of Visual:

invisible, sightless, viewless

Related Words for Visual

seeing, sighted, focusing, viewable, detectable, discernible, noticeable, perceptible, clear, conspicuous, evident, eye-catching, manifest, obvious, overt, patent, perceivable, plain, prominent, striking, exposed, external, outer, outward, superficial, photographic, video, drawn, painted, represented

Near Antonyms of Visual

disappeared, dissolved, evanesced, evaporated, melted, vanished, vaporized, imperceptible, indiscernible, indistinct, unnoticeable, unobservable, faint, inconspicuous, insignificant, slight, unobtrusive, vague, buried, concealed, covert, disguised, hidden, latent, obscure, shrouded, indeterminate, nebulous, sketchy, unclear

Word Forms of Visual

Derived words: visually (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Visual

Middle English, from Late Latin visualis, from Latin visus sight, from vidēre to see

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Visual

Words & Phrases Containing Visual

visual acuity, visual aid, visual cortex, visual field, visual literacy, visual purple, subvisual

Frequently Asked Questions about Visual

What does "Visual" mean?

"Visual" means of, relating to, or used in vision. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of, relating to, or used in vision. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Visual"?

Other words for "Visual" include ocular, optic, optical, apparent, observable, seeable, visible and graphic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Visual" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Visual"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Visual". Common alternatives include ocular, optic, optical, apparent, observable, seeable, visible, graphic, imaginal and pictorial.

What is the opposite of "Visual"?

Antonyms of "Visual" include invisible, sightless and viewless. Near antonyms include disappeared, dissolved, evanesced and evaporated.

How do you use "Visual" in a sentence?

Examples of "Visual" in a sentence: "the eyes are the primary visual organs in humans"; "that funny expression was a visual hint that she was getting bored"; "visual evidence that could be presented in court".

Is "Visual" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Visual" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Visual" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Visual" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Visual"?

"Visual" is pronounced /ˈvi-zhə-wəl/ and divided into syllables as vi·su·al.