optics
plural noun
op·tics
ˈäp-tiks
1
plural in form but usually singular in construction
: a science that deals with the genesis and propagation of light, the changes that it undergoes and produces, and other phenomena closely associated with it
But before we deal with telescopes, you need to understand a little about optics—how light is controlled.—Michael Zeilik et al.
Everything we know suggests that [eyeglasses] were invented by chance, and by laymen who were not learned in optics.—Daniel J. Boorstin
see also optic entry 2 sense 2a
2
: the aspects of an action, policy, or decision (as in politics or business) that relate to public perceptions
… when a broken-down bailout recipient like Citigroup tries to pay its top executives gigantic bonuses or to acquire a new private jet, it has failed to reconsider the optics.—Nick Paumgarten
Skilling said Baxter "was concerned about the optics of the conflict, but not about the ethics or propriety of the transactions," according to interview memos.—Peter Behr and April Witt
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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