optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl 
1
: of or relating to the science of optics
2
a
: of or relating to vision : visual
b
: visible sense 1
optical wavelength
c
: of, relating to, or being objects that emit light in the visible range of frequencies
an optical galaxy
d
: using the properties of light to aid vision
an optical instrument
3
a
: of, relating to, or utilizing light especially instead of other forms of energy
optical microscopy
b
: involving the use of light-sensitive devices to acquire information for a computer
optical character recognition
4
: of or relating to optical art
Examples of optical in a Sentence
The company manufactures microscopes, telescopes, and other optical instruments.
an optical illusion that fools most people
Recent Examples on the Web
And since the lens is one of the most delicate optical structures in the body, this can have detrimental consequences.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The technology has strong optical absorption and long carrier diffusion lengths.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
Those vibrant, almost optical-illusion-like chevrons and patterns that Missoni is known for come from their innovative approach to weaving techniques, adapting and optimizing the Caperdoni loom and Raschel knitting in order to weave over 200 colors into one textile.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Unlike optical spy satellites, radars provide imagery day and night, regardless of cloud cover.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The technology has strong optical absorption and long carrier diffusion lengths.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
Those vibrant, almost optical-illusion-like chevrons and patterns that Missoni is known for come from their innovative approach to weaving techniques, adapting and optimizing the Caperdoni loom and Raschel knitting in order to weave over 200 colors into one textile.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 22 May 2026
Unlike optical spy satellites, radars provide imagery day and night, regardless of cloud cover.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical
Cite this Entry
“Optical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl
1
: relating to optics
2
: of or relating to vision
3
a
: of, relating to, or using light
an optical telescope
b
: involving the use of a device that senses light to acquire information for a computer
an optical scanner
Medical Definition
optical
adjective
op·ti·cal
ˈäp-ti-kəl
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
