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noun Uncommon

visibility

vihz-uh-BIHL-ih-tee
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Visibility (noun) means the state or degree of being able to be seen. Example: “Visibility dropped to almost nothing in the thick fog.”

noun
1
The state or degree of being able to be seen.
"Visibility dropped to almost nothing in the thick fog."
"Pilots waited on the ground because visibility over the airfield was too poor."
"Good visibility from the hilltop meant we could see for miles."
2
In programming, the scope within which something like a variable can be accessed.
"Marking the field private restricts its visibility to that class only."
"Changing the method's visibility to public lets other classes call it directly."
"The compiler complained because the variable's visibility did not extend outside the function."

How to use visibility

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHow easily something can be seen — literally (fog, distance) or figuratively (public attention, code access).

Common pairings
poor visibility low visibility increase visibility
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Word forms

Plural
visibilities
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Fill the gap

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_____ dropped to almost nothing in the thick fog.

Etymology

From visible plus the noun-forming suffix -ity, via Late Latin visibilitas.

Origin: Late Latin

Related words

Rhymes for visibility

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Frequently asked questions

What does “visibility” mean?
The word “visibility” means the state or degree of being able to be seen. In plain terms, how easily something can be seen — literally (fog, distance) or figuratively (public attention, code access).
How do you pronounce “visibility”?
“Visibility” is pronounced vihz-uh-BIHL-ih-tee (/ˌvɪz.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ in IPA).
How do you use “visibility” in a sentence?
Here is “visibility” used in a sentence: “Visibility dropped to almost nothing in the thick fog.”
What is another word for “visibility”?
Words with a similar meaning to “visibility” include apparency, seeability, seeableness and visibleness.
What is the opposite of “visibility”?
The opposite of “visibility” — its antonyms — are hiddenness, invisibility and latency.
What part of speech is “visibility”?
“Visibility” is a noun.
Where does the word “visibility” come from?
The word “visibility” comes from Late Latin. From visible plus the noun-forming suffix -ity, via Late Latin visibilitas.
Is “visibility” a common word?
“Visibility” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between 'visibility' and 'clarity'?
'Visibility' refers to how far or well something can be seen, often used to describe weather or lighting conditions like fog reducing visibility. 'Clarity' instead refers to how clear or sharp something is once it can be seen, so a scene can have good visibility but poor clarity if it's blurry or hazy.
What does 'visibility' mean in programming?
In programming, 'visibility' refers to the scope within which a variable, function, or object can be accessed or referenced, such as public, private, or protected visibility. It determines which parts of a program are allowed to see and use that element.
How is 'visibility' used outside of weather and code, such as in business?
In business and marketing contexts, 'visibility' often means how noticeable or well-known something is, such as a brand's visibility in the market. It extends the core idea of 'being able to be seen' from a physical sense to a figurative sense of public awareness.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing visibility in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

Visibility in AI answers is measurable rather than assumed — whether a source is actually cited can be tested per query.
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