ˌvizəˈbiləd.ē, -lətē, -i noun
( -es )
Etymology: Late Latin visibilitas, from Latin visibilis visible + -itas -ity
1. : the quality or state of being visible
the visibility of a navigational light
the need for improving the visibility of bicycles at night
stage action with maximum visibility — Irving Kolodin
2. archaic
a. : something visible
modelled … into a Shape, a Visibility — Thomas Carlyle
b. : something worth seeing : a notable sight
have seen all the visibilities of Paris — Samuel Johnson
3.
a. : the degree or extent to which something is visible (as by the degree of clearness of the atmosphere) ; specifically : the mean greatest distance prevailing over the range of more than half of the horizon at which a large object (as a building or ship) may be seen and identified depending upon its size, distance from the observer, the contrast between it and surrounding objects, glare, transparency, and illumination of the atmosphere between the object and the observer, and the condition of the observer's eye unaided by special optical devices
visibility up to five miles
dust storms … reducing visibility to a few yards — Keith Ellis
b. : capability of being readily noticed
advertising … that has the greatest visibility — Publishers' Weekly
c. : capability of being distinguished as belonging to a racial, religious, or social group on the basis of either physical or cultural characteristics
d. : capability of affording an unobstructed view
a new car with improved front and rear visibility
an airplane with good visibility in the nose
4. : a measure of the ability of radiant energy to evoke visual sensation : the luminous efficiency of light of a specified wavelength expressed in lumens per watt or usually as a percentage of its maximum value of about 680 lumens per watt at the green wavelength 5500 angstroms
the visibility of yellow sodium light is about 76 percent