vision

American  

[vizh-uhn] / ˈvɪʒ ən /

noun

1. the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.

2. the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.

   prophetic vision;

   the vision of an entrepreneur.

   Synonyms:

   discernment, perception

3. an experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present, often under the influence of a divine or other agency.

   a heavenly messenger appearing in a vision.

4. something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience.

   The vision revealed its message.

   Synonyms:

   chimera, phantasm, apparition

5. a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation.

   visions of wealth and glory.

6. something seen; an object of sight.

7. a scene, person, etc., of extraordinary beauty.

   The sky was a vision of red and pink.

8. computer vision.

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verb (used with object)

1. to envision, or picture mentally.

   She tried to vision herself in a past century.

vision British  

/ ˈvɪʒən /

noun

1. the act, faculty, or manner of perceiving with the eye; sight

2. 1. the image on a television screen

   2. ( as modifier )

      vision control

3. the ability or an instance of great perception, esp of future developments

   a man of vision

4. a mystical or religious experience of seeing some supernatural event, person, etc

   the vision of St John of the Cross

5. that which is seen, esp in such a mystical experience

6. (sometimes plural) a vivid mental image produced by the imagination

   he had visions of becoming famous

7. a person or thing of extraordinary beauty

8. the stated aims and objectives of a business or other organization

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verb

1. (tr) to see or show in or as if in a vision

Synonym Usage

See dream.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• visionless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vision

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin vīsiōn-, stem of vīsiō “sight,” literally “a seeing,” equivalent to vīs(us) “seen,” past participle of vidēre “to see” + -iō -ion

Explanation

If you are getting your eyes checked, a doctor is checking on your vision — or your ability to see. But if you have visions of unicorns romping over rainbows, that's a whole other issue that the eye doctor can't address. The noun vision describes how well you can see, but it can also refer to things you may see, but that aren't physically there. Sometimes people claim to have religious visions of God, angels, the Virgin Mary, and so on. The word can also be used to describe something that is lovely: "The bride was a vision in white."

Example Sentences

Say what you like about Elon Musk, you have to give him credit for his vision and his chutzpah.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

"Rooted in a strategic vision to develop precision therapeutics, this breakthrough brings real hope to many patients and stands as a strong example of the impact of the translational research conducted at the IRCM."

From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026

SpaceX, you may know, is the biggest company controlled by Elon Musk, so if you buy its shares, you’re buying into his vision.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

She described her as "a woman of action, vision and real substance".

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Life in the camp obliterated any vision of a future, any memory of a past.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• aspect
• conception
• dream
• fantasy
• foresight
• idea
• ideal
• imagination
• insight
• outlook
• perspective
• point of view
• understanding
• view