Dictionary

optical

adjective op·ti·cal \ˈäp-ti-kəl\

: used to help a person see

: relating to or using light

: involving the use of devices that get information for a computer by identifying patterns of light

Full Definition of OPTICAL

1
:  of or relating to the science of optics
2
a :  of or relating to vision :  visual
b :  visible 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
op·ti·cal·ly \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
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First Known Use of OPTICAL

1570

Related to OPTICAL

OPTICAL Defined for Kids

optical

adjective op·ti·cal \ˈäp-ti-kəl\

Definition of OPTICAL for Kids

1
:  relating to the science of optics
2
:  relating to seeing :  visual
3
:  involving the use of devices that are sensitive to light to get information for a computer <an optical scanner>
Medical Dictionary

optical

adjective op·ti·cal \ˈäp-ti-kəl\

Medical Definition of OPTICAL

1
:  of or relating to the science of optics
2
a :  of or relating to vision :  visual b :  using the properties of light to aid vision <an optical instrument>
3
:  of, relating to, or utilizing light <optical microscopy>
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