legible

1 of 2

adjective

leg·​i·​ble ˈle-jə-bəl How to pronounce legible (audio)
Synonyms of legible
1
: capable of being read or deciphered : plain
legible handwriting
2
: capable of being discovered or understood
… murder sweltered in his heart and was legible upon his face.—Thomas Wolfe
legibility
ˌle-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce legible (audio)
noun
legibly
ˈle-jə-blē How to pronounce legible (audio)
adverb

legibility

2 of 2

noun

leg·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌlejəˈbilətē How to pronounce legibility (audio)
-ətē, 
-i
plural -es
: the quality or state of being legible
the influence of typeface on the legibility of print—Helen A. Webster & M. A. Tinker

Synonyms of legible

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Adjective

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Examples of legible in a Sentence

Adjective The document is not legible. an anxious mood that was clearly legible upon her face
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Only about 30% of the headstones are legible. — Dawn White, CBS News, 20 June 2026 For a Target shopper, sustainability has to be immediately legible, not buried in the fine print. — Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Keeping the human story legible against the weight of eight decades of historical events required a discipline that both directors returned to repeatedly. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 June 2026 The real work of nonfiction, and of profile writing especially, is in making a series of arbitrary and disconnected events legible. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for legible

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin legibilis, from Latin legere to read

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legible was in the 15th century

Rhymes for legible

See All Rhymes for legible

Browse Nearby Words

legibility
legible
legion
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Cite this Entry

“Legible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legible. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

legible

adjective
leg·​i·​ble ˈlej-ə-bəl How to pronounce legible (audio)
: capable of being read : plain
legible handwriting
legibility
ˌlej-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce legible (audio)
noun
legibly
ˈlej-ə-blē How to pronounce legible (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on legible

Nglish: Translation of legible for Spanish Speakers

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