What does "optical" mean?

1. (relating to sight) relating to the sense of sight or the way you see things. 2. (using light or lenses) using light or lenses to help you see or to record information. 3. (film special effects) a special effect in a film made by changing the film itself in a lab.

How do you use "optical"?

usually used in the plural form 'opticals'

optical

adj. · n.

US //ˈɑptɪkəɫ// UK //ˈɒptɪkəl// op·ti·cal

1 relating to sight (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

relating to the sense of sight or the way you see things.

pertaining to the biological or psychological process of vision.

Example

An optical illusion can make a flat drawing look like it has depth.

Example

The brain processes optical signals from the eyes to create a coherent map of the physical environment.
- visual
- ocular
2 using light or lenses (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Science

using light or lenses to help you see or to record information.

utilising light-sensitive components or lenses to enhance vision or transmit data.

Example

The telescope uses high-quality optical glass to see distant stars.

Example

Optical fibre cables allow for much faster data transmission than traditional copper wires by using pulses of light.
- photonic

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3 film special effects (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Theatre

a special effect in a film made by changing the film itself in a lab.

a visual effect created through laboratory processes or camera manipulation rather than digital CGI.

Example

Old movies used physical opticals to create fades between scenes.

Example

Before the advent of digital compositing, complex opticals were achieved through multiple exposures on a single strip of film.

Usage

usually used in the plural form 'opticals'
- visual effect

Origin

From optic + -al.

Word family

Adjectiveoptical
Adverboptically