visibility

visibility — noun

1. the distance at which objects can still be seen clearly through the air, especia

1.nounB1
Definition

the distance at which objects can still be seen clearly through the air, especially when affected by fog, rain, smoke, or darkness

Example

The pilot reported poor visibility and delayed landing the plane until the fog cleared.

collocation: poor visibility

On clear mornings, visibility in the national park can reach over thirty kilometres.

pattern: visibility + reach + distance

Common collocations
  • poor visibility
  • low visibility
  • good visibility
  • clear visibility
  • zero visibility
  • reduced visibility
  • visibility improves
  • visibility drops
Synonyms
  • clarity

    focuses on how sharp and clear things look, not specifically on distance or weather

  • clearness

    less common; same general meaning but not tied to weather reporting

Antonyms
  • haze

    a condition that reduces visibility, rather than a direct antonym

  • fog

    a weather phenomenon that drastically lowers visibility

Grammar Patterns

visibility + is + adjective

low/poor/good/clear + visibility

Usage Note

Often paired with an adjective such as low, poor, good, clear, or zero. Frequently used in weather reports, aviation, and driving contexts.

Common Mistakes

The visibility is very bad today because of the smog.
Visibility is very poor today because of the smog.
native speakers typically use 'poor' or 'low' with visibility rather than 'bad.'
I could not see the mountain because of bad visibility.
I could not see the mountain because visibility was poor.
avoid using 'bad' as a direct modifier; restructure the sentence.

2. how much public attention a person, product, cause, or issue receives through be

2.nounB2
Definition

how much public attention a person, product, cause, or issue receives through being seen and noticed by an audience

Example

The charity run brought visibility to the issue of clean water in poor villages.

collocation: bring visibility to

Small businesses often struggle to gain visibility when larger companies dominate the online market.

collocation: gain visibility

Common collocations
  • gain visibility
  • increase visibility
  • raise visibility
  • bring visibility to
  • high visibility
  • low visibility
  • visibility among
  • visibility of
Synonyms
  • exposure

    more common in marketing; focuses on reaching an audience rather than being noticed

  • publicity

    suggests active promotion by media or PR; stronger connotation of deliberate attention-seeking

  • prominence

    implies a higher status or importance, not just being seen

Antonyms
  • obscurity

    the state of being unknown or unnoticed — the direct opposite of public visibility

Grammar Patterns

visibility + of + noun phrase

give/bring/raise + visibility + to

Usage Note

Common in marketing, activism, and career contexts. Frequently used with verbs like increase, raise, improve, gain, bring, or give. The passive form ('was given more visibility') is also common.

Common Mistakes

The new product got a lot of visibility in the magazine.
The new product gained a lot of visibility from the magazine feature.
the preposition 'from' sounds more natural than 'in' when specifying the source of visibility.
We need to increase the visibility of our brand to the customers.
We need to increase the visibility of our brand among customers.
use 'among' (not 'to') for the target audience.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three words relate to being seen or noticed, but they differ in how the attention comes about. Exposure (B2) is the broadest term — it simply means reaching an audience, whether by design or by chance ('her art got international exposure'). Publicity (B2) implies active promotion, often by media or PR efforts ('the film received a lot of publicity before its release'), and it can carry a slightly manufactured feel. Prominence (C1) suggests a higher rank or importance, not just visibility: a prominent figure is well known and respected, not merely noticed. For a small brand trying to reach customers, 'visibility' and 'exposure' are the best fits; 'publicity' works if media attention is involved; 'prominence' would sound exaggerated.

exposure ↗publicity ↗prominence ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • visibility conditions
  • visibility range
  • visibility level

Adverbs

Phrases

  • low visibility warning
  • high visibility clothing
  • visibility on the road

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Visibility comes from the Latin word 'visibilitas', which stems from 'visibilis' meaning 'that can be seen'. This in turn comes from 'videre', the Latin verb for 'to see'. The word entered English through Old French in the late 14th century, initially referring to the quality of being visible. The figurative sense (public attention) developed in the early 20th century, likely influenced by the rise of advertising and mass media.