English Reference
Adjective

visible

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /ˈvɪzəbəɫ/ UK /vˈɪzəbəl/ vis·i·ble

adj.easy to see or notice. You use this when something is not hidden and your eyes can find it clearly.

adj.perceivable by the eye; capable of being seen. Often used to describe physical objects or noticeable changes in data and behavior.


SIMPLE

The stars are clearly visible on a cloudless night.

CONTEXTUAL

The mountain peak remained visible through the morning mist, providing a useful landmark for the hikers.

COMPLEX

While the immediate effects of the policy were visible in the quarterly reports, the long-term social consequences remained obscured by a lack of longitudinal data.

Usage

Commonly modified by adverbs of degree such as 'clearly', 'barely', or 'highly'.

Usage visible light · visible wavelengths · visible signs

Soon, the festival came into full view, with a lit-up ferris wheel, festival tents and Farage himself at about 3.30am, visible through a gated fence.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

She said that cloud cover scuppered the view for most of the time, but about 19:00 the clouds parted and a sliver of the sun was visible from behind the moon.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

Common in science writing


From Middle English visible, from Old French visible, from Late Latin visibilis (“that may be seen”), from Latin videre (“to see”), past participle visus; see vision. Displaced native Old English ġesewenlīċ.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin videre
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated