invisible

American  

[in-viz-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈvɪz ə bəl /

adjective

1. not visible; not perceptible by the eye.

   invisible fluid.

2. withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden.

   an invisible seam.

   Synonyms:

   obscure, veiled

3. not perceptible or discernible by the mind.

   invisible differences.

4. not ordinarily found in financial statements or reflected in statistics or a listing.

   Goodwill is an invisible asset to a business.

5. concealed from public knowledge.

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noun

1. an invisible thing or being.

2. the invisible, the unseen or spiritual world.

invisible British  

/ ɪnˈvɪzəbəl /

adjective

1. not visible; not able to be perceived by the eye

   invisible rays

2. concealed from sight; hidden

3. not easily seen or noticed

   invisible mending

4. kept hidden from public view; secret; clandestine

5. economics of or relating to services rather than goods in relation to the invisible balance

   invisible earnings

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noun

1. economics an invisible item of trade; service

Other Word Forms

• invisibility
  noun
• invisibleness
  noun
• invisibly
  adverb
• quasi-invisible
  adjective
• quasi-invisibly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of invisible

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word invīsibilis. See in- ³, visible

Explanation

If you are invisible, you can't be seen with the naked eye, but you can do an awful lot of spying. When you do something embarrassing, you often wish you were invisible. Germs are invisible, as are odors. A good question to ask someone is whether they would rather be able to fly or be invisible. Flight gives you freedom to travel, but if you are invisible, you have the ability to sneak around and see things you would not normally be able to see. Which would you prefer?

Example Sentences

The looming costs associated with keeping cities livable for residents can take a back seat to pension and debt payments—and remain invisible to investors in the $4 trillion muni bond market.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

As scientists continue to learn more about these microscopic organisms, one message is becoming clear: something largely invisible to the naked eye could have a much bigger impact on global health than previously thought.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

But, unbeknownst to many observers at the time, Graham was enduring even more withering pressures, with determination that was all the more impressive for being almost entirely invisible.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I’m still in the process of discovering why she remained invisible in “All the President’s Men.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

She had the clear upper hand, being both invisible and a badger, a natural adversary to snakes.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• imperceptible
• microscopic
• unseen