Visíveis

Visíveis is the plural form of visível, an adjective in Portuguese meaning capable of being seen or detectable by sight. It agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number, so visível becomes visíveis when describing plural nouns, for example objetos visíveis or cores visíveis.

Etymology and form: Visível comes from the Latin visibilis, meaning visible or able to be seen. In Portuguese, it shares cognates with the English word visible and with related terms in other Romance languages. The singular feminine and masculine forms are the same (visível), while the plural is visíveis for both genders.

Usage and scope: Visível refers to things that can be perceived visually, either in ordinary sight or in a scientific context. In everyday language it describes objects, features, or phenomena that are observable, such as “dano visível” or “evidência visível.” In science and optics, the term is commonly applied to the visible spectrum, the portion of light detectable by the human eye, roughly 380 to 750 nanometers. Objects or signals outside this range are described as invisíveis or not visíveis to the naked eye.

Examples: “Os objetos visíveis ao microscope” (objects visible under a microscope) or “cores visíveis no arco-íris” (visible colors in the rainbow). In discussing data or evidence, one might say “provas visíveis” to indicate evidence that can be readily observed.

See also: invisible, visibility, visible spectrum, perceptível. Visíveis is used in Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese with the same grammatical rules.