1 invisibility | Definition of invisibility

invisible

adjective
in·​vis·​i·​ble | \ (ËŒ)in-ˈvi-zÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce invisible (audio) \

Definition of invisible

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : incapable by nature of being seen : not perceptible by vision a movie about an invisible man invisible ultraviolet light
b : inaccessible to view : hidden an invisible hinge
2 : of such small size or unobtrusive quality as to be hardly noticeable : inconspicuous an invisible scar
3a : not appearing in published financial statements invisible assets
b : not reflected in statistics Teaching English to foreign visitors is estimated to be Britain's sixth largest invisible export …The Economist

invisible

noun
plural invisibles

Definition of invisible (Entry 2 of 2)

: an invisible person or thing : someone or something that cannot be seen or perceived … the significant aspect of his reign, its failure of concern for the religious crisis, has been overlooked as the invisibles of history usually are.— Barbara W. Tuchman "There are too many invisibles in the ad business. It depends too much on intangible relationships and chemistry."— Helen Ver Standig

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Other Words from invisible

Adjective

invisibility \ (ËŒ)in-​ËŒvi-​zÉ™-​ˈbi-​lÉ™-​tÄ“ How to pronounce invisibility (audio) \ noun
invisible noun
invisibleness \ (ËŒ)in-​ˈvi-​zÉ™-​bÉ™l-​nÉ™s How to pronounce invisibleness (audio) \ noun
invisibly \ (ËŒ)in-​ˈvi-​zÉ™-​blÄ“ How to pronounce invisibly (audio) \ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for invisible

Synonyms: Adjective

discreet, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive

Antonyms: Adjective

conspicuous, noticeable, visible

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Examples of invisible in a Sentence

Adjective

a thriller about an invisible man With the telescope we can see details of the planet's surface that are ordinarily invisible. She feels as if her success is being blocked by an invisible barrier. Homelessness is no longer an invisible problem for this city.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Stapleton was for years a successful songwriter, invisible to all those but the few who knew him as a big-voiced anchor in a bluegrass band - the Steeldrivers. Andrew Dansby, Houston Chronicle, "Americana blurs the defining lines of country music," 25 Oct. 2017 Jim Schwartz smacked Jim Harbaugh, Rod Marinelli believed in the invisible and Bobby Ross didn’t coach that stuff and up and quit. Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Road to XII: Detroit Lions' speed bump knocks coach Jim Caldwell off script," 14 Oct. 2017 The online bombardment, which former Clinton aides acknowledged surpassed their Facebook spending, was largely invisible to the media and the electorate. Alaska Dispatch News, "Trump campaign’s embrace of Facebook shows company’s growing reach in elections," 9 Oct. 2017 But Patterson worries every day about his players becoming invisible. Andy Staples, SI.com, "Can Top-10 TCU Stay Grounded? Gary Patterson Hopes He Has the Key," 4 Oct. 2017 By keeping Alex’s face invisible, the play never allows its central tension to break. Jen Gann, The Cut, "The Off-Stage, Very Sick Child in Mary Jane," 3 Oct. 2017 This is particularly hard on the young up-and-comers who are largely invisible to potential sponsors. Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, "raceAhead: AT&T’s Plan for Intentional Inclusion," 28 Sep. 2017 The center of this particular universe is, for the moment, invisible to the naked eye. Chris Jones, Esquire, "The House of Hugh Hefner," 28 Sep. 2017 The moral controversies surrounding Russia, Trumpcare, immigration or white supremacy that have easily turned Trump into perhaps the least popular president of all time are mostly made invisible if one only measures the world in units of money. Eli Cook, Time, "You Shouldn't Care How Stocks React to Donald Trump," 28 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'invisible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of invisible

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1635, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for invisible

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin invisibilis, from in- + visibilis visible

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More Definitions for invisible

invisible

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of invisible

: impossible to see : not visible
chiefly British, finance used to describe money from foreign countries that is received from providing services (such as banking and tourism) rather than from selling products

invisible

adjective
in·​vis·​i·​ble | \ in-ˈvi-zÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce invisible (audio) \

Kids Definition of invisible

: impossible to see Sound waves are invisible.

Other Words from invisible

invisibly \ -​blÄ“ \ adverb

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