Adjective
color, shape, and other visual attributes
She appreciates the visual arts such as painting and film.
Maps are a visual tool for learning.
Noun
Should I include some visuals in my presentation?
a film director known for his powerful visuals
Recent Examples on the Web
The data showed drops in logic and vocabulary (known as verbal reasoning), visual problem solving and analogies (known as matrix reasoning), and computational and mathematical abilities (known as letter and number series).
—
Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 9 Apr. 2023
Also in attendance at Sip at Al’s grand opening was Annie Ruef, the assistant manager of visual marketing.
—Michael Alberty | , oregonlive, 8 Apr. 2023
The first visual reveal of a new planet ignited my imagination.
—wsj.com, 7 Apr. 2023
Bache also created visual relationships between husbands and wives, who sometimes faced each other on the album’s pages.
—Samantha Baskind, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023
Through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program, the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts, students are given the opportunity to submit their creative works in the annual contest.
—Melissa Whatley, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023
From news snippets to pop culture moments, the experience offers a visual timeline of the plant’s start 6,000 years ago to its present-day impact.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2023
So the incumbent sought a specialized player to develop new products, like electric vertical landing and takeoff aircraft that require technologies incorporating visual traffic detection and camera navigation.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2023
Its styling, though hardly memorable, at least skews toward the cute end of the spectrum, and the sportier trims add a little visual zest to the Corolla Cross’s curb appeal.
—Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 7 Apr. 2023
Others enjoy an impromptu movie theater experience, taking in the dreamy visuals cooked up by cinematographer Sade Ndya.
—Martine Thompson, ELLE, 8 Apr. 2023
Young Miko then joins in for a fiery verse of her own before the visual sees the two stars looking at the museum paintings as guests.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2023
Film and media experts said the 105-second trailer is polysemic — with each demographic interpreting the hyperbolic visuals using their own unique lens and finding meaning in it.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
The psychedelic visuals were created in post-production by a raft of VFX firms, including Disney’s Industrial Light & Magic, MPC and Luma Pictures.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023
Additionally, the worldbuilding is hampered by the paltry and stilted visuals.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 31 Mar. 2023
The new teaser visual also slipped a major nugget of information to fans of the K-pop star.
—Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2023
And that idea of change was sticking with me as well as some of the language and iconography—the visuals from this story of a dude going through this long, weird journey into the underworld.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2023
If only to balance the political visual!
—Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘visual.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Britannica Dictionary definition of VISUAL
:
relating to seeing or to the eyes
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a visual impairment
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visual perception
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color, shape, and other visual attributes
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She appreciates the visual arts such as painting and film.
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the movie’s visual effects
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Maps are a visual tool for learning.
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people who are visually impaired [=people who cannot see well]
Britannica Dictionary definition of VISUAL
[count]
:
something you look at (such as a picture, chart, or film) that is used to make something more appealing or easier to understand
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Should I include some visuals in my presentation?
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a film director known for his powerful/stunning visuals
If you want to know the meaning of visual, just look around! Anything you can see falls under the heading of visual. What «aural» is to the ears and «olfactory» is to the nose, visual is to the eyes.
It’s often said that «film is a visual medium»; it uses pictures to tell a story. You have to see it to get it. That’s clearly different from, say, radio which can only use audio. Have you ever closed your eyes while watching a cartoon? If you cut out the visual parts and just listen to the music and sound effects, it’s often even funnier. As zany as the sounds are, they’re even funnier when you separate them from their visual cues. Visual shares its root with vision, which is (not surprisingly) the ability to see. How visual!
Definitions of visual
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adjective
relating to or using sight
“visual powers”
“visual navigation”
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synonyms:
ocular, optic, optical
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“a
visual presentation”“a
visual image”-
synonyms:
ocular
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seeable, visible
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
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seeable, visible
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘visual’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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- British
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ vizh-oo-uhl ]
/ ˈvɪʒ u əl /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective
of or relating to seeing or sight: a visual image.
used in seeing: the visual sense.
perceptible by the sense of sight; visible: a visual beauty.
perceptible by the mind; of the nature of a mental vision: a visual impression captured in a line of verse.
noun
Usually visuals.
- the picture elements, as distinguished from the sound elements, in films, television, etc.
- photographs, slides, films, charts, or other visual materials, especially as used for illustration or promotion.Compare audio, video.
a rough, preliminary sketch of an advertising layout, showing possible arrangements of material.Compare comprehensive (def. 5).
any item or element depending on the sense of sight.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
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Origin of visual
1375–1425; late Middle English <Late Latin vīsuālis, equivalent to vīsu(s) sight (vid(ēre) to see + -tus suffix of v. action, with dt>s) + -ālis-al1
OTHER WORDS FROM visual
non·vis·u·al, adjectivesub·vis·u·al, adjective, nounsu·per·vis·u·al, adjectivesu·per·vis·u·al·ly, adverb
un·vis·u·al, adjectiveun·vis·u·al·ly, adverb
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH visual
visible, visual
Words nearby visual
Visser ‘t Hooft, vista, vistadome, vistaed, Vistula, visual, visual acuity, visual aid, visual aids, visual album, visual angle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to visual
ocular, optic, optical, beheld, discernible, imaged, observable, observed, perceptible, seeable, viewable, viewed, visible, visional
How to use visual in a sentence
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The weekly slide shows published to Instagram will teach you the skills of a visual investigator.
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This will ensure no one misses any visual signals about what’s happening, allowing them to prepare for new material.
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Google and Bing both use for visual search, Google has their Google Lens and Bing has their visual search.
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Directed by Benoit Lalande, Nomad Africa is a visual experiment featuring surfer Alex Smith and the powerful waves and wilds of this ancient continent.
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For example, a system for diagnosing medical scans might first learn to identify basic visual features, such as shape and outline, by being pretrained on a database of everyday objects—such as ImageNet, which contains more than 14 million photos.
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Bottom line is that it will only be a BVR [beyond visual range] airplane.
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Most of them were large birds—hawks, egrets, and even peacocks—for spectacular visual effect as they took flight.
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Instead, the writers had to rely on visual cues and ambiance.
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And since visual media is more compelling than any other medium, it is consistently their drug of choice.
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In movies, that language, visual and verbal, has yet to be mastered.
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He devoured it whole with a kind of visual gulp—a flash; the entire meaning first, then lines, then separate words.
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This hour gives to the imaginative in every land a thrill, a yearning, and a pang of visual regeneration.
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For this reason the photographic images are less sensitive to conditions affecting the seeing than the visual images.
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For visual observation the Crossley telescope is provided with seven eyepieces, with powers ranging from 620 downward.
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However the scout did not move toward it until after a long moment of both visual and mental inspection of his surroundings.
British Dictionary definitions for visual
adjective
of, relating to, done by, or used in seeingvisual powers; visual steering
capable of being seen; visible
of, occurring as, or induced by a mental image
noun
a sketch to show the proposed layout of an advertisement, as in a newspaper
(often plural) a photograph, film, or other display material
Derived forms of visual
visually, adverb
Word Origin for visual
C15: from Late Latin vīsuālis, from Latin vīsus sight, from vidēre to see
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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I was always a visual person. I could see things visually. I had a harder time with numbers and logic, and I always had more of an artistic sensibility. So that I could do. And it was something that I really loved.
Bruce Davison
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD VISUAL
From Late Latin vīsuālis, from Latin vīsus sight, from vidēre to see.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF VISUAL
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF VISUAL
Visual can act as a noun and an adjective.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.
WHAT DOES VISUAL MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Visual system
The visual system is the part of the central nervous system which gives organisms the ability to process visual detail, as well as enabling the formation of several non-image photo response functions. It detects and interprets information from visible light to build a representation of the surrounding environment. The visual system carries out a number of complex tasks, including the reception of light and the formation of monocular representations; the buildup of a nuclear binocular perception from a pair of two dimensional projections; the identification and categorization of visual objects; assessing distances to and between objects; and guiding body movements in relation to visual objects. The psychological process of visual information is known as visual perception, a lack of which is called blindness. Non-image forming visual functions, independent of visual perception, include the pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment.
Definition of visual in the English dictionary
The first definition of visual in the dictionary is of, relating to, done by, or used in seeing. Other definition of visual is capable of being seen; visible. Visual is also of, occurring as, or induced by a mental image.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH VISUAL
Synonyms and antonyms of visual in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «VISUAL»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «visual» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «visual» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF VISUAL
Find out the translation of visual to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of visual from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «visual» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
视觉的
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
visual
570 millions of speakers
English
visual
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
दृश्य
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
بَصَرِيّ
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
зрительный
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
visual
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
চাক্ষুষ
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
visuel
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
visual
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
visuell
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
視覚の
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
시각의
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Visual
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
thuộc thị giác
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
காட்சி
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
दृश्यमान
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
görsel
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
visivo
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
wizualny
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
зоровий
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
vizual
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
οπτικός
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
visuele
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
visuell
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
visuell
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of visual
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «VISUAL»
The term «visual» is very widely used and occupies the 2.612 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «visual» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of visual
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «visual».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «VISUAL» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «visual» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «visual» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about visual
10 QUOTES WITH «VISUAL»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word visual.
The clarification of visual forms and their organization in integrated patterns as well as the attribution of such forms to suitable objects is one of the most effective training grounds of the young mind.
I wasn’t a big fan of social anthropology. And, luckily, that created room for me to work in visual arts because I sort of ignored my requirements. I think I was attracted to social anthropology because I liked to travel and was always interested in far-off places.
It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.
I know some children’s writers write for specific children, or for the children they once were, but I never have. I just thought children might like my sort of visual humour.
‘District 9’, ‘Elysium’ and ‘Chappie’ were all born out of some visual concept first. ‘Chappie’ is the imagery, because I think I’m a visual person first, of this ridiculous robot character. It’s much more comedy based and in an unusual setting.
I don’t think music is the first thing I turn to. For me, I think visual art is more the thing. Sometimes when I’ve been doing music for a while, I can’t really take any more in.
Photography obviously lends itself so well towards fashion. It’s capturing that moment and that inspiration, and as a designer you are constantly walking through the world assimilating those visual references you have and so being able to solidify that into a photograph and keep it on your mood board is essential to creating a collection.
Smells are so powerful and evocative, sometimes stronger than visual cues.
I was always a visual person. I could see things visually. I had a harder time with numbers and logic, and I always had more of an artistic sensibility. So that I could do. And it was something that I really loved.
It’s certainly a cliche to remark that a nonfiction book ‘reads just like a novel,’ but in the case of Jonathan Eig’s ‘The Birth of the Pill,’ I have no other recourse, since his narrative is full of larger-than-life characters sharply limned and embarked on fascinating doings, their story told in sprightly visual fashion.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «VISUAL»
Discover the use of visual in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to visual and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
«This book is an attempt to proceed from earlier studies of art to a broader concern with visual perception as a cognitive activity …»—Pref.
The second edition of the classic book on visual agnosia, updated to include disorders of semantic knowledge and topographic recognition, and integrating perspectives from functional neuroimaging throughout.
3
Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye
Gestalt theory and the psychology of visual perception form the basis for an analysis of art and its basic elements
4
Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga …
This volume brings together an international group of scholars from many specialties to probe the richness and subtleties of these deceptively simple cultural forms.
Mark Wheeler Macwilliams, 2008
Both a primer on visual language and a visual dictionary of the fundamental aspects of graphic design, this text deals with every imaginable visual concept, making it an indispensable reference for beginners and seasoned visual thinkers …
A full-colour visual guide for students of group theory.
7
Visual Intelligence: Perception, Image, and Manipulation in …
Today, our environment is dominated by the visual. This book explores «visual intelligence» as a basic and indispensable tool of cultural survival.
8
Anime and the Visual Novel: Narrative Structure, Design and …
This book describes the thematic and structural traits of a recent and popular development within the realm of anime: series adapted from visual novels.
9
Visual Tools for Transforming Information Into Knowledge
Featuring new research and examples, this practical resource focuses on brainstorming webs, graphic organizers, and concept maps to improve instruction and enhance students’ cognitive development.
10
Semiotics of Visual Language
«… the details of Saint-Martin’s argument contain a wealth of penetrating observations from which anyone with a serious interest in visual communication will profit.
Fernande Saint-Martin, 1990
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «VISUAL»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term visual is used in the context of the following news items.
Parents Give Daughter Visual Bucket List Before She Goes Blind
The parents of a 5-year-old in central Ohio have created a visual bucket list for their daughter after she was diagnosed with a condition that will eventually cause … «ABC News, Jul 15»
Microsoft Launches Visual Studio 2015
After a year of previews and one release candidate, Microsoft today officially launched the latest version of its Visual Studio integrated development environment … «TechCrunch, Jul 15»
Android M is getting native visual voicemail
Android is finally starting to get built-in visual voicemail. The next version of Android, Android M, will include native visual voicemail support in the dialer, rather … «The Verge, Jul 15»
Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2015 Will Launch On July 20
Microsoft today announced that Visual Studio 2015 (VS 2015), the latest version of the company’s integrated development environment, will launch on July 20. «TechCrunch, Jun 15»
Now you can scan objects with Shazam to get cool content and …
Today, the company launched Visual Shazam, which lets users scan various products, QR codes, or print ads. Shazam is launching this new feature with … «Digital Trends, May 15»
Cisco forecasts wild M2M growth in latest Visual Networking Index
Experts have been talking about the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) for what seems like years already, but now Cisco Systems Ltd. is illustrating this in graphic … «SiliconANGLE, May 15»
Bank of England calls on public to think of visual artist to grace new …
Bank of England governor Mark Carney makes an announcement on the next £20 note at the V&A Museum. Photograph: ANDY RAIN / POOL/EPA. «The Guardian, May 15»
Controversy at UC San Diego over nudity in visual arts class
Over the last 11 years, professor Ricardo Dominguez has taught a course at UC San Diego titled Visual Arts 104A: Performing the Self. As part of an assignment, … «Los Angeles Times, May 15»
Microsoft now has a code editor for Mac and Linux: Visual Studio Code
The new tool, called Visual Studio Code, makes it easy to develop .NET code along with many other programming languages on Linux based systems. «The Next Web, Apr 15»
Visual Studio 2015 Pricing To Be Simplified
Visual Studio 2015 Pricing To Be Simplified. Current Ultimate subscribers will notice a significant price reduction. Also: a Visual Studio 2015 timeline quick … «Visual Studio Magazine, Apr 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Visual [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/visual>. Apr 2023 ».
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