legible

adjective

leg·​i·​ble ˈle-jə-bəl 

1

: capable of being read or deciphered : plain

legible handwriting

2

: capable of being discovered or understood

murder sweltered in his heart and was legible upon his face

—Thomas Wolfe

legibility

ˌle-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

legibly

ˈle-jə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• accessible
• apprehensible
• coherent
• comprehendible
• comprehensible
• fathomable
• graspable
• intelligible
• scrutable
• understandable

Examples of legible in a Sentence

The document is not legible.

an anxious mood that was clearly legible upon her face

Recent Examples on the Web

The net result of these subtle updates is a perpetual calendar display more intuitive, legible, and easy to use than ever before. —Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2025

Like certain characters whose sad fates only become legible after six elusive episodes, viewers stuck on the particulars of a series that leads with silly sensationalism miss our chance to get on board. —Judy Berman, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025

The mood is palpable, and the meditation legible, even if Winnipeg and Iranian cinema are to you as remote as a chilly winter moon. —Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025

Scientists think the ink may contain a denser contaminant (potentially lead) that allows the text to be more legible than other Herculaneum scrolls when subjected to X-ray scans. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin legibilis, from Latin legere to read

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legible

• illegible

Kids Definition

legible

adjective

leg·​i·​ble ˈlej-ə-bəl 

: capable of being read : plain

legible handwriting

legibility

ˌlej-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

legibly

ˈlej-ə-blē 

adverb