[ad. late L. vīsibilitāt-, vīsibilitās (Tertull.), f. L. vīsibilis: see next and -ITY. So F. visibilité (OF. visibleté), It. visibilità, Sp. visibilidad, Pg. -idade.]
1. The condition, state or fact of being visible; visible character or quality; capacity of being seen (in general, or under special conditions).
a. Of the Church, a kingdom, etc.
1581. W. Fulke, in Confer., II. (1584), H ij b. What visibilitie could there be in those daies…, when there was no face at all of an outward Church?
a. 1591. H. Smith, God’s Arrow (1593), L j. And consequently visibility (which the Papists make a marke of the Church) is no perpetuall marke thereof.
1629. Lynde, Via Tuta, Ep. Ded. 1. That the world may know, it is no difficult matter for a meane Lay-man to prooue the ancient visibilitie of the Protestant profession.
a. 1662. Heylin, Laud (1668), 53. He maintained the constant and perpetual visibility of the Church of Christ.
1667. Poole, Dial. betw. Protest. & Papist, 49. If Christ did indeed promise the perpetual visibility of his Church.
1699. Burnet, 39 Art., xix. 183. Another question may arise out of the first words this Article, concerning the Visibility of this Church.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., IV. § 29. 315. The visibility of the Theocracy gradually grew fainter and fainter from the first establishment of a visible monarchy.
1866. J. G. Murphy, Comm., Exod. xv. 18. The kingdom thus rising into visibility never again disappears from the earth.
b. Of things in general.
1614. Jackson, Creed, III. xxx. § 5. The actual visibility of colours wholly depends upon the light as well for existence as duration.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 74. Where there is not so much as a seeming or visibility, there is no evidence.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 407. The Sun gives to things not only their Visibility, but also their Generation.
1737. Whiston, Josephus, Hist., V. v. § 4. This gate had no doors, for it represented the universal visibility of heaven.
1772. H. Barnes, Pract. Cas. C. P. (ed. 2), 322. The Affidavits as to Defendant’s Visibility were fully answered, and his total Absconding proved.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., III. xxv. 53. They considered the visibility of matter not a necessary consequence of its creation.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, VII. 13, note. But the God of Theologians is incapable of local visibility.
1867. J. Hogg, Microsc., I. ii. 44. The visibility of the effect depends on the distance of the object from the object-glass.
1882. Procter, Fam. Sci. Stud., 35. The comet … attracted more attention when it had passed from view than … during the brief period of its visibility.
c. spec. The possibility of (a vessel, etc.) being seen under the conditions of distance, light, atmosphere, etc., existing at a a particular time; hence conversely, the possibility of seeing, or the range of vision, under such conditions.
Cf. Harbord, Gloss. Navig. (1863), s.v. Weather notation.
1914. trans. Baudry’s Naval Battle, 265. The radius of visibility must fix the maximum time allowable for final preparations.
1916. Sir J. Jellicoe, Disp., 24 June, in Battle of Jutland, 62. The visibility early on 1st June (three to four miles) was less than on 31st May.
2. With a and pl. A visible thing or object.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. [I.] xcii. 269. St. Paul grants, that they may know God, through the visibilities in his Workes.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. iii. 9. The beatitude of that part which earth and visibilities too weakly affect.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Worthy Commun., i. § 1. 27. It cannot be natural flesh, however altered in circumstance and visibilities.
1828. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), I. 162. Mind, by being modelled in Men’s imaginations into a Shape, a Visibility. Ibid. (1843), Past & Pr., II. xvi. The Highest God dwells visible in that mystic unfathomable Visibility, which calls itself. ‘I’ on the Earth.
† b. = SIGHT sb. 1 c. Obs.–1
1775. Johnson, in Boswell, Life (1904), I. 624. Sir, I have seen all the visibilities of Paris, and around it.
† 3. Appearance, aspect, look. Obs.–1
1669. Bunyan, Holy Citie, 114. ‘And the City lieth four square.’… Now both the City, Gates and Wall, were exactly in their Visibility according to the Word.
† 4. The faculty or power of seeing; the exercise of this; sight, vision. Obs. rare.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Visibilitie, the abilitie or powre of seeing.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., v. Wks. 1851, III. 120. Why they choose to live by custome and catalogue, or as S. Paul saith by sight and visibility, rather then by faith.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 42. The Fibers of Corn or Trees…, that in Clays and Loams have firm and holding Bottoms, and will lie two or three Years to visibility.
