Legible

Clear enough in its visual form to be read without strain.

Reach for it when praising handwriting, print, labels, or display text for readability

The medic wrote a legible dosage note despite the crowded field station.

• everyday

  clear

  the message or appearance is easy to make out

  not when Clear covers more territory and does not specifically concern written characters.

• everyday

  readable

  overall ease of reading includes wording and layout

  not when Readable can praise writing style even when the handwriting is poor.

• warm

  neat

  orderly handwriting is the quality being praised

  not when Neat script can use unfamiliar forms that remain hard to read.

• professional

  crisp

  printing or display edges appear sharply defined

  not when Crisp says nothing about size, contrast, or language.

• formal

  decipherable

  the text can be worked out with some effort

  not when Decipherable sets a lower bar than comfortably legible.

• formal

  distinct

  individual marks are sharply separated

  not when Distinct lettering may still be too small to be legible.

• illegible
• indecipherable
• blurred

• legible handwriting

  Legible handwriting prevented confusion during the shift change.

• clearly legible

  Every emergency label remained clearly legible in dim light.

• barely legible

  The faded date was barely legible beneath the dust.

• merriam-webster, adjective, single sense ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.