Invisibility is the state of being impossible to see. When something has invisibility, light passes through it or around it instead of bouncing off to reach your eyes. True invisibility doesn't exist in nature (though some animals like glass frogs come close), but scientists are working on materials that bend light around objects to create invisibility cloaks.

In stories and imagination, invisibility is one of the most popular superpowers. Characters who can turn invisible face an interesting choice: they could sneak around unnoticed, but they also become isolated because no one can see them to talk to them or include them. Many stories explore how loneliness might be the hidden cost of invisibility.

The word also describes being overlooked or ignored. When a shy student raises their hand but the teacher doesn't notice, that student might feel a sense of invisibility. Some people work jobs that keep society running smoothly (like sanitation workers or janitors) but rarely get recognized, creating a kind of social invisibility.

Whether literal or figurative, invisibility involves not being seen. The literal kind might seem exciting, but the figurative kind, where people fail to notice or acknowledge someone, usually feels disappointing or lonely.