visual
VIH-zhoo-uhl
Visual (adj) means relating to sight, or able to be seen. Example: “The film relies heavily on visual storytelling rather than dialogue.”
adj
1
Relating to sight, or able to be seen.
"The film relies heavily on visual storytelling rather than dialogue."
"There was no visual sign of damage to the car."
"The art teacher said visual skills improve with daily drawing practice."
noun
1
An image, picture, or graphic used to support or illustrate something.
"The presentation needs a few more visuals to keep people engaged."
"The speaker added a visual of the map to explain the route."
"Each slide needs a clear visual so the audience can follow."
How to use visual
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with seeing, or a picture/graphic itself.
Common pairings
visual aid
visual effects
add some visuals
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like visual.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- visuals
- Comparative
- more visual
- Superlative
- most visual
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The film relies heavily on _____ storytelling rather than dialogue.
Etymology
From Late Latin visualis, "of sight," from Latin visus, "sight" — from videre, "to see."
Related words
Rhymes for visual
See all rhymes for visual →Frequently asked questions
What does “visual” mean?
The word “visual” means relating to sight, or able to be seen. In plain terms, to do with seeing, or a picture/graphic itself.
How do you pronounce “visual”?
“Visual” is pronounced VIH-zhoo-uhl (/ˈvɪʒuəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “visual” in a sentence?
Here is “visual” used in a sentence: “The film relies heavily on visual storytelling rather than dialogue.”
What part of speech is “visual”?
Depending on how it is used, “visual” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “visual” come from?
The word “visual” comes from Late Latin. From Late Latin visualis, "of sight," from Latin visus, "sight" — from videre, "to see.".
Is “visual” a common word?
“Visual” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “visual” have?
“Visual” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to sight, or able to be seen.
What is the difference between visual and visible?
"Visual" means relating to sight or to seeing in general, as in visual arts or a visual display. "Visible" means specifically able to be seen, present to the eye. A chart is a visual aid; a distant ship is visible on the horizon. Visual describes the sense; visible describes what that sense can detect.
What is a visual learner?
A visual learner is someone who understands and remembers information best when it is presented through images, diagrams, charts, colours, and written text rather than through listening alone. It is one of several commonly described learning styles, alongside auditory and hands-on approaches, though experts debate how fixed these styles really are.
What is an example of something visual?
Photographs, films, paintings, maps, charts, and infographics are all visual, because they communicate through sight. In everyday use, a "visual" can also be a single image or graphic used in a presentation or advert. Anything you take in mainly with your eyes qualifies.
What is the difference between visual and audio?
Visual refers to what is seen, such as images, text, video, and graphics, while audio refers to what is heard, such as speech, music, and sound effects. Media like film and television combine both, but the visual channel reaches the eyes and the audio channel reaches the ears.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include visual:
