optical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or applying optics or the principles of optics.
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constructed to assist sight or to correct defects in vision.
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of or relating to sight or vision; visual.
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of or relating to the eye.
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of or relating to an optician or opticians or to their products, especially eyeglasses.
an optical service.
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dealing with or skilled in optics.
noun
adjective
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of, relating to, producing, or involving light
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of or relating to the eye or to the sense of sight; optic
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(esp of a lens) aiding vision or correcting a visual disorder
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Relating to vision or the eyes.
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Relating to optics.
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Relating to or using visible light.
Other Word Forms
- nonoptical adjective
- nonoptically adverb
- optically adverb
- suboptical adjective
- suboptically adverb
Etymology
Origin of optical
Explanation
Anything that's optical has something to do with sight. You could call your glasses an optical aid, since they help you see things more clearly. Optical assistance comes in many forms, from glasses and contacts to binoculars and telescopes. All of these optical devices help magnify or clarify your vision. Using a big telescope to view the stars is known as optical astronomy, as opposed to the kind of astronomy that's practiced using radio signals or math. An optical illusion is a trick played on your eyes, when what they perceive is different from what is actually there.
Vocabulary lists containing optical
Common Senses: Op, Ops, Opt ("Sight")
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Punching the Air
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Much of this can be attributed to semis, but there are also electronic components, optical, data center, and infrastructure. In other words, a pretty broad based AI basket,” Krinsky adds.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
As one of China’s leading optical transceiver and component suppliers, the company is well supported by its integrated device manufacturer model amid component shortages, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
The company now expects its network infrastructure unit to grow 12%-14% this year from 6%-8%, reflecting the increased growth in optical and IP networks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
The material can expand by as much as 5%, allowing researchers to directly form optical structures such as microlenses and diffraction gratings on its surface.
From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026
“I worked for an optical company for a short while in Jackson.”
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
