Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Possible to read or decipher.
  • adjective Plainly discernible; apparent.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • That may be read; written plainly or in intelligible characters: as, a legible manuscript.
  • Hence That may be discovered or discerned by marks or indications.
  • Synonyms Readable, recognizable, plain, manifest.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Capable of being read or deciphered; distinct to the eye; plain; -- used of writing or printing.
  • adjective Capable of being discovered or understood by apparent marks or indications.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Being clear enough to be read, readable, particularly for handwriting.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or deciphered

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Late Latin legibilis, from Latin legere, to read; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin legibilis ("that can be read").

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Examples

  • Who heard of making the title legible only by opening the book up and looking at both sides?

    Kirby: King of Comics « Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog 2008

  • The teacher became preoccupied with the presentation of the OHPs, making sure they were laid out clearly and legible from the back of the class, as they would be unable to effect significant changes on the fly.

    EGC Clambake For August 2, 2006 2003

  • The plane was sitting on the tarmac, yards away, the livery's colours distorted by the bright sunshine, but the name legible on the fuselage: Freebird.

    A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away Brookmyre, Christopher, 1968- 2001

  • Solomon was celebrated for wisdom, but folly is write in legible characters upon his almost every action.

    On the Equality of the Sexes 1790

  • He starts Ch. 9 by talking about the "literary experience" of Whole Foods: making the food chain "legible" -

    Serendip's Exchange 2009

  • He starts Ch. 9 by talking about the "literary experience" of Whole Foods: making the food chain "legible" -

    Serendip's Exchange - 2008

  • In the upper left-hand corner, a name was legible: Miracles for the Masses.

    Sparks Laura Bickle 2010

  • In the upper left-hand corner, a name was legible: Miracles for the Masses.

    Sparks Laura Bickle 2010

  • In the upper left-hand corner, a name was legible: Miracles for the Masses.

    Sparks Laura Bickle 2010

  • The illustration is probably of Smolin's "fecund universe" it's not really legible, which is a rather different idea.

    If We Live in a Multiverse, How Many Are There? | Universe Today 2009

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