visible

UK: ˈvɪzəbl̩ | US: ˈvɪzəbəl

Definition

  1. adj. able to be seen; perceptible to the eye

  2. adj. noticeable or apparent

Structure
vis <see>ible <able to>
Etymology

visible = vis<see> + ible<able to>

  • vis (from Latin videre, meaning "to see") → Retained in words like vision and visual.
  • ible (from Latin -ibilis, a suffix forming adjectives meaning "able to be") → Common in English (e.g., flexible, audible).

Etymology Origin:
The word visible traces back to Latin visibilis, derived from videre ("to see"). The morpheme vis preserves the core idea of sight, while -ible adds the passive sense of "capable of being." This logical pairing reflects how Latin suffixes were systematically adopted into English to create descriptive adjectives.

Examples

  1. The stars are barely visible through the city lights.

  2. Her disappointment was clearly visible on her face.

  3. The watermark becomes visible when held up to light.

  4. There was no visible damage to the package.

  5. The path was barely visible under the thick snow.