legible

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

Synonyms of legible

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Examples of legible in a Sentence

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.
Like a vigilant technician, Klotho steps in at each stage and adjusts the focus back to the original, ensuring that those biological copies remain accurate and legible. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026 Like fainting, craving pickles, or struggling to wiggle into skinny jeans, vomiting, in the cultural imagination, is a stand-in for imminent motherhood, as legible as any pregnancy test. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 The first brands in a category to become genuinely legible will be the ones answer engines name while their rivals stay a blank that the model skips. — Margareta Petrovic, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 But the distribution becomes more legible when cross-referenced with demographic structure. — Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for legible

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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 15 Aug. 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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