visual acuity

noun

: the relative ability of the visual organ to resolve detail that is usually expressed as the reciprocal of the minimum angular separation in minutes of two lines just resolvable as separate and that forms in the average human eye an angle of one minute

Examples of visual acuity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Your healthcare provider will evaluate your symptoms with an eye examination, which includes a visual acuity test and testing of your eye muscles. —Troy Bedinghaus, Od, Verywell Health, 1 June 2024

This visual acuity from such a tiny, simple creature is unusual because capabilities like that are usually reserved for more advanced creatures, like vertebrates, arthropods, and cephalopods. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024

The shorter a dog's head, the more similar their visual acuity is to human vision. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Dec. 2023

The optimal formula of the supplement helps to restore visual acuity. —Discover Magazine, 30 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

visual acuity

noun

: the relative ability of the visual organ to resolve detail that is usually expressed as the reciprocal of the minimum angular separation in minutes of two lines just resolvable as separate and that forms in the average human eye an angle of one minute compare minimum separable, minimum visible