a. [f. VISION sb. + -AL.]
1. Connected or concerned with, relating to, based upon, a vision or visions.
1588. J. Harvey, Disc. Probl., 35. Is not true and pure diuinitie according to the diuision of some learned, and reuerant autors, either Expositiue, and Interpretatiue: or else Visionall, and Propheticall?
1644. Jessop, Angel of Eph., 8. In visionall speeches Daniel … saith to Nebuchadnezzar [etc.].
1668. Clarendon, Contempl. Ps., Tracts (1727), 574. That this Psalm was composed upon the visional deliberation of the defeat of that army.
1732. Waterland, Script. Vind., III. 53. And therefore this visional Interpretation appears to be preferable to the other. Ibid., 78. So much in Favour of the visional Construction.
1908. J. Orr, Resurrect. Jesus, viii. 214. May it not at least be possible to show that the appearance of Jesus can be explained … either by subjective hallucinations, which is the older form of the visional theory, or [etc.]?
2. Of the nature of, seen or occurring in, forming part of, a vision; visionary, unreal.
1647. R. H., Trial & Exam. Serm. by Haslewood, 2. There was no materiall house at all, nor any gate; unless he will make the visionall ladder the gate or house.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, xxii. 376. The teaching of God, and our hearing and leaving of him, is not to be understood of any extraordinary visional appearances.
1690. C. Nesse, O. & N. Test., I. 295. A real and corporal combat not visional or imaginary.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 11. 1/1. We cannot … suppose, that Visional Representations wou’d be exhibited to us under the Notion of Realities.
a. 1767. Boston, Serm. (1850), 41. What sort of wrestling was it? and how could worm Jacob prevail over an uncreated angel? Some make it visional, and in a dream.
1827. G. S. Faber, Sacr. Cal. Prophecy (1844), II. 70. The interpreting angel … does not superfluously enter into any description of the visional conflict beheld by Daniel.
1858. H. Bushnell, Nat. & Supernat., ii. (1864), 41. Some apparition or visional wonder.
3. Pertaining to sight; visual. rare–1.
1790. Bystander, 201. With an ardent brand Ulysses deprived him of his only visional organ.
Hence Visionally adv., as or in a vision.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Rev. xi. 14. The second woe is past: Visionally past, not eventually.
a. 1679. Poole, Annot., Ezek. xxxvii. 1. The Spirit of God carrying him visionally not corporally.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 11. 1/1. We esteem the whole as Really, and not Visionally perform’d.
1847. H. Miller, Test. Rocks (1837), 169. The reason why the drama of creation has been optically described seems to be, that it was in reality visionally revealed.
