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
A lot of Asian American people have this experience of reading in lit courses about predominantly white authors and characters and suddenly there’s Lee, who is remarkably legible as someone inside of his social milieu yet almost a unicorn. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 The series lets the facts of what happened provide whatever answers there are regarding Holmes’ inner truth, while using Seyfried’s character as a sometimes legible, sometimes illegible cypher. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026 For the first time, the band with the most un-Googleable name in showbiz sounds marginally legible. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Oct. 2026 Movies pop, text is far sharper, and the screen stays fully legible even in bright rooms. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 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

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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 27 Oct. 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
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