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nonvisible

nonvisible

5.3
Not able to be seen with the eyes
  • adjective
  • /nɑnˈvɪzəbl/
translation icon : no visible
  • Some insects can detect nonvisible wavelengths of light that humans cannot see.

Examples

  • OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has announced the Ostar Observation IR LED, designed for night-vision illumination systems that require performance from nonvisible light.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Surgeons will have a greater opportunity to enhance the cosmetic appearance of the visible portion of the nose if we have a good understanding of the nonvisible portions.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Mike Kilkullen was stunned by the changes in her, both visible and nonvisible.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The nonvisible oral and musical qualities animating the figural present dislocate the visual content from the rigidly visual quantity of monocular vision.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In part, this stems from the dictates of circumstance: the sculpture's discovery was purely accidental, and barring a campaign to check the nonvisible backs of all medieval architectural sculptures, it will take additional accidents to produce similar finds.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The nonvisible features of the artwork are just as important as what can be seen.

  • Scientists study nonvisible elements in the atmosphere to understand climate change.

Synonyms

invisible
vsnonvisible
218 3.7

Not able to be seen with the naked eye

is the simple label for things not able to be seen
hidden
vsnonvisible
125 1.1

A thing that is not easily seen or found

means the simple state of not being visible rather than deliberate concealment
unseen
vsnonvisible
66 3.2

Hidden so people do not notice it

refers more generally to things that cannot be seen by sight
undetectable
vsnonvisible
23 6.5

Very hard or impossible to notice

is the general visual inability without stressing detectability methods
out of sight
vsnonvisible
12 3.4

Kept where you cannot see it

expresses general inability to be seen rather than deliberate concealment
imperceptible
vsnonvisible
9 7.8

Very small or slight and hard to notice

means outright invisibility rather than being merely very slight or subtle
indiscernible
vsnonvisible
4 8.8

Hard to see, hear, or notice

denotes straightforward lack of sight rather than faint or unclear perception
unobservable
vsnonvisible
1 8.0

Not able to be seen or noticed when you look

emphasizes simple absence of visibility rather than observational constraints
unseeable
vsnonvisible
1 8.4

The eye cannot notice it

describes the broad inability to be seen rather than caused concealment
viewless
vsnonvisible
7.6

Not able to be seen

names the general condition of not being visible to the eye
nonobservable
vsnonvisible
  • Specialized
8.4

Cannot be seen or measured directly with instruments

focuses on plain visual inability rather than observational or instrumental limits
unperceivable
vsnonvisible
9.1

Too small, slow, or quiet for people to notice

is the plain idea of being unable to be seen by the eye
imperceivable
vsnonvisible
8.4

Too small to be seen, heard, or noticed

is a general visual inability without implying impossibility in other senses
inapparent
vsnonvisible
8.1

Hard to see or notice

describes total inability to be seen rather than being just inconspicuous
unapparent
vsnonvisible
7.9

Not easily seen, noticed, or understood

refers more narrowly to actual lack of sight rather than subtlety

Antonyms

398 1.0

Easy to see or notice

How Visible

conspicuous
55 5.1
visible
398 1.0
faint
148 2.7
nonvisible
5.3

Surface Forms

nonvisible positive

Morphology

nonvisible = visible (transparent) = non + visible

The negative prefix 'non-' attaches to the adjective 'visible' producing the straightforward meaning 'not visible'.

Etymology

Nonvisible comes from non- 'not' plus visible 'able to be seen'; visible is like vision, which is about 'seeing', so you can picture something that is not seen. So, nonvisible means 'not able to be seen', used for things our eyes cannot detect.