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Origin and history of visual

visual(adj.)

early 15c., "pertaining to the faculty of sight;" also "coming from the eye or sight" (as a beam of light was thought to), "resulting from the eye, produced by a look;" from Late Latin visualis "of sight," from Latin visus "a sight, a looking; power of sight; things seen, appearance," from visus, past participle of videre "to see" (see vision).

The meaning "visible, perceptible by sight" is from late 15c; the sense of "relating to vision" is attested by c. 1600. Related: Visuality. The noun meaning "photographic film or other visual display" is recorded from 1944. Visual aid is attested by 1911.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to visual

vision(n.)

c. 1300, visioun, "that which is seen," specifically "something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural" by one sleeping or waking; from Anglo-French visioun, Old French vision "presence, sight; view, look, appearance; dream, supernatural sight" (12c.), from Latin visionem (nominative visio) "act of seeing, sight, thing seen," noun of action from past-participle stem of videre "to see" (from PIE root *weid- "to see").

Also "a narrative account of a vision" (mid-14c.). By early 15c. as "a visual perception" (of something). The meanings "sense of sight, faculty that perceives by the eye;" also "act of seeing external objects" are recorded by late 15c.

In 20c. use, "distinct, vivid mental conception of a scheme or anticipation." The meaning "statesman-like foresight, political sagacity" is attested from 1926.

audiovisual(adj.)

also audio-visual, "pertaining to or involving both sound and sight," 1937, from audio- + visual.

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optic
late 14c., optik, "of or pertaining to the eye as the organ of vision," from Old French optique, obtique (c. 1300) and directly from Medieval Latin opticus "of sight or seeing," from Greek optikos "of or having to do with sight," from optos "seen, visible," related to ōps "eye,"
landscaping
["The Gardener's Monthly" July 1861] Also, in reference to the visual arts, "depiction as a landscape" (1868)....
view
early 15c., "formal inspection or survey" (of land); mid-15c., "visual perception," from Anglo-French vewe "view," Old French...
artist
Since mid-18c. especially of "one who practices the arts of design or visual arts."...
imagism
name of a movement in poetry that sought clarity of expression through use of precise visual images, "hard light, clear edges...
video
1935, as visual equivalent of audio, from Latin video "I see," first person singular present indicative of videre "to see...
look
Meaning "appearance of a person, visual or facial expression" is from late 14c....
Capitol
"building in Washington, D.C., where U.S. Congress meets," 1793 (in writings of Thomas Jefferson), from Latin Capitolium, name of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, protector of the city, on the Capitoline Hill in ancient Rome. Used earlier of Virginia state houses (1699). It
topic
1630s, "a class of considerations from which probable arguments can be drawn," singular form of "Topics" (1560s), the name of a work by Aristotle on logical and rhetorical generalities, from Latin Topica, from Greek Ta Topika, literally "matters concerning topoi," "commonplaces,"
genre
1770, "particular style of art," a French word in English (nativized from c. 1840), from French genre "kind, sort, style" (see gender (n.)). Used especially in French for "independent style." In painting, as an adjective, "depicting scenes of ordinary life" (a domestic interior o

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