visible

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Able to be seen with the eyes.

   Grammar: Often followed by to or from: visible to the naked eye.

   Patterns

   • visible to someone
   • visible from somewhere

   The mountains were visible from our window.

   The stars are visible on clear nights.

   The crack in the wall was barely visible.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Easy to notice or obvious in a way that others can recognize.

   Grammar: Used for abstract things like effects or emotions: visible improvement.

   There has been a visible improvement in her health.

   His disappointment was clearly visible.

   The company wants to be more visible online.

3. 3adjectivecomparable

   Well known and often seen in public life.

   Grammar: Describes people or groups: a highly visible leader.

   She is one of the most visible figures in local politics.

   A visible police presence calmed the crowd.

Word forms

Common combinations

clearly visible

The lighthouse was clearly visible from the beach.

barely visible

The scar was barely visible.

visible to the naked eye

The comet was visible to the naked eye.

highly visible

The new sign is highly visible.

visible signs

There were visible signs of damage.

Synonyms and how they differ

noticeable

Noticeable is about what grabs attention, while visible simply means able to be seen.

apparent

Apparent often means obvious to the mind or evident, as well as seen.

conspicuous

Conspicuous is stronger and implies standing out too much.

evident

Evident stresses that something is clear to the mind as well as the eye.

Opposites

Word family

visibility noun

how far or how clearly you can see

visibly adverb

in a way that can be seen

invisible adjective

unable to be seen

vision noun

the ability to see

Commonly confused: visible or visual?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “visible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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