Legible
/ˈlɛdʒ.ə.bəl/noun
Able to be read or deciphered.
Did you know?Legible comes from Latin legere, meaning “to gather” or “to read,” the same root behind a whole family of words tied to selection, reading, and ritualized choice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“to gather, pick out, choose”
Latin
Latin
legere
“to gather, pick up, read”
Latin
Latin
legibilis
“readable, fit to be read”
Old French
Old French
legible
“capable of being read”
Middle English
English
legible
“clear enough to read”
Modern English
English
legible
“able to be read or deciphered”