noun

visibility

viz-uh-BIL-uh-tee/ˌvɪzəˈbɪləti/

The degree to which something can be seen.

Dense fog reduces the lighthouse's visibility compared with the clear view.

Two matched views of the same small lighthouse at the same distance: clearly visible in clear air on the left and barely discernible through dense fog on the right.

Etymology

visLatinto see

+ibilLatincapable of being

+ityLatinstate, condition

The pieces express the condition of being capable of being seen. Visibility describes that condition in terms of degree: how readily something can be seen.

In context

Columbia GSAPP56:32

the powerful visibility of the migrants on the highway it's like they've always been there they've always been visible

Infrastructures of Violence

More examples

The bright vest improves the cyclist's visibility to drivers.
From the driver's seat, rear visibility is poor.
Underwater visibility reaches thirty feet in this clear lake.

Forms

visibility

visible adjective — Able to be seen by someone.

Similar words

clarity: Clarity emphasizes sharpness of detail rather than mere detectability.
conspicuousness: Conspicuousness emphasizes how easily something stands out from its surroundings.