a view, esp through a long narrow avenue of trees, buildings, etc, or such a passage or avenue itself; prospect
a vista of arches
a comprehensive mental view of a distant time or a lengthy series of events
the vista of the future
What does vista mean? A vista is a wide view of a scene, especially a sweeping outdoor scene such as a mountain valley or beach. Traditionally, vista referred to a view seen through a long, narrow passage, such as between two rows of trees or buildings, but this meaning is now less commonly used. Example: The description for this hotel room claims that we’ll have a vista of the mountain at sunrise from our balcony.
See view.
First recorded in 1650–60; from Italian: “a view,” noun use of feminine of visto (past participle of vedere “to see,” from Latin vidēre )
V(olunteers) i(n) S(ervice) t(o) A(merica)
A vista is a scene, view, or panorama. It's what you stop to see when you climb to the top of a mountain, or pull off the road at the "scenic view" rest stop. Vista is an Italian word that means "sight" or "view." It's the same in Spanish and is related to the verb avistar, which means "to catch sight of." Hasta la vista! means, literally, "Until I see you!" (or, more simply, "See you later!"). As in Spain and Mexico, we like to name our towns after a vista: Buena Vista ("great scenery"), Chula Vista ("pleasant view"), and Rio Vista ("overlooking the river") are all places in California.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On stage, he re-enacted the storyline, starting at an office desk, before escaping into a colourful and surreal vista of circuitboards and robotic dancers.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Looking ahead is good, of course, but the vista investors must now contemplate is replete with a host of issues that are both unique to U.S. markets and concerning to a longer term outlook.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
The main living space, which features an enormous great room with windows spanning the entirety of the wall, offering a picture-perfect vista of the park.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 15, 2026
Instead of my favorite Sierra vista, I saw total disfigurement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2025
Below that dramatic vista, the sea is as glass—a perfectly reflective surface, mirroring the sky.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Municipal officials in Vista Alegre, where the plane crashed, said in a statement that preliminary information indicated an "in-flight emergency" was to blame, without offering more details.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
One resident of Vista Alegre said the plane exploded on impact.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
The bat fell onto a table at the Yellow Deli in Vista, startling patrons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
In Sierra Vista, acting was always part of my soul because I lived so much in my imagination.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Remember, when we try out, we have to act like teenagers and not mention our real ages,” Jennifer said as we walked down Fifty-Fourth toward Angeles Vista.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
VISTA, Calif.—It was only 9 a.m., but David Bronner, whose title is Cosmic Engagement Officer of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, had already picked two fights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Townsend’s uncle, conceived of AmeriCorps VISTA, a federal anti-poverty program, to encourage service to help lift underprivileged communities.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 3, 2023
About 30 years later, President Lyndon Johnson brought to fruition President John Kennedy’s “domestic Peace Corps” initiative, the Volunteers in Service to America program, known as VISTA.
From New York Times ● Jul. 2, 2021
I was just a person who, for my own reasons, ended up moving to the region under the auspices of this national service program called VISTA, which is expressly stated to "alleviate poverty."
From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2020
Emily Brehob has been a teaching assistant with AmeriCorps VISTA, Peace Corps volunteer, and is now a graduate student in Texas.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2018
Kaley Cuoco and Sam Clafin lack the chemistry to keep this thriller built on Hitchcock plot points moving, despite it scenic French vistas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
There is also an open-plan dining space in the main living area, while a connecting balcony offers another seating area, where guests can enjoy the home’s stunning vistas.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
It’s now the ideal spot for eagle-eye vistas of sunset over the Hudson River to New Jersey, and the Chrysler and Empire State buildings between the glass forest of more recent skyscrapers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Some of those very same vistas may have inspired the works he rendered for our astoundment and pleasure on his show.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
Both had dramatic vistas over rolling lawns and tall trees, but the students here were almost a different species.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
