eyesight

American  

[ahy-sahyt] / ˈaɪˌsaɪt /

noun

1. the power or faculty of seeing.

2. the act or fact of seeing.

3. the range of the eye.

   to come within eyesight.

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eyesight British  

/ ˈaɪˌsaɪt /

noun

1. the ability to see; faculty of sight

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Etymology

Origin of eyesight

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; eye, sight

Explanation

Your eyesight is your vision, or ability to see. If your eyesight isn't perfect, you can correct it using glasses or contact lenses. Most (but not all) animals have eyesight, or the ability to perceive things using eyes. The exceptions are a few nocturnal or underground animals, and those whose eyes or nervous systems are damaged. Eyesight is an amazing sense, giving the average person the ability to distinguish between millions of colors and focus on more than 50 objects per second. The word eyesight was used by 1200, making it about a century older than the word vision.

Example Sentences

Then her eyesight deteriorated, which necessitated a month of radiation.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

When Jane Kingsbury, 80, last had her eyes tested, she says her optician told her that her eyesight was OK.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

How’s the eyesight out of a rubber bald eagle mask?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

So how do the thick-skinned animals with poor eyesight pull off such delicate tasks?

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Given her height and sharp eyesight, it was simple enough for Kate to sit behind Reynie and copy over his shoulder, while Reynie kept his paper at a helpful angle.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Related Words

• perception