readability

American  

[ree-duh-bil-i-tee] / ˌri dəˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. Also readableness. the state or quality of being readable.

2. Typography. the property of type that affects the ease with which printed matter can be read for a sustained period.

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Etymology

Origin of readability

First recorded in 1835–45; readable + -ity

Example Sentences

“Meaning” is the obvious answer, but other loyalties seem important: tone, clarity, the sound and cadence of the original, as well as readability and, in the case of drama, the demands of performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

That's a rare gift and his readability perhaps mitigated against him when it came to the big literary awards.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

But the most difficult trick of bringing Marlowe to the present day has nothing to do with the present; it lies instead in matching Chandler’s masterful balance of pulp readability and literary sensibility.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Both processes influence the readability of the DNA and therefore the gene expression.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

Thurber, by self-appointed virtuous contrast, saw commas as so many upturned office chairs unhelpfully hurled down the wide-open corridor of readability.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author