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
Our colleague Bo Li at the University of Wollongong used optical luminescence dating methods on the layers of earth that contained the artifacts.
—
Ben Marwick, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
Advanced tools like optical character recognition (OCR) and natural language processing (NLP) extract key data— for example, sender details, dates, and document types — instantly.
2.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Ingredients to avoid include dyes, phosphates, and optical brighteners.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
European scientists are already planning a successor spacecraft that will carry on Gaia’s galactic torch, next time collecting infrared, rather than optical, light.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
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Ben Marwick, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
Advanced tools like optical character recognition (OCR) and natural language processing (NLP) extract key data— for example, sender details, dates, and document types — instantly.
2.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Ingredients to avoid include dyes, phosphates, and optical brighteners.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
European scientists are already planning a successor spacecraft that will carry on Gaia’s galactic torch, next time collecting infrared, rather than optical, light.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical
Cite this Entry
“Optical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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
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