farsighted
Americanadjective
-
seeing objects at a distance more clearly than those near at hand; hyperopic.
-
seeing to a great distance.
-
wise, as in foreseeing future developments.
a farsighted statesman.
- Synonyms:
- perspicacious, prudent, discerning, prescient, farseeing, foresighted
Other Word Forms
- farsightedly adverb
- farsightedness noun
Etymology
Origin of farsighted
Compare meaning
How does farsighted compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Someone who's farsighted can see distant objects more clearly than things that are nearby. If you're farsighted, you may need to get some reading glasses. Do you squint at tiny type online or in magazines, but clearly see the print on a sign several yards away? You might be farsighted! A more figurative way to be farsighted is to have the ability to guess, predict, or plan for what's going to happen in the future. If a candidate has farsighted ideas about education and jobs, they'll probably make a good member of the city council or school committee.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New York Fed President John Williams proved the most farsighted of all in his football — and economic — forecasts.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 17, 2026
When Bahar came up with her vision of creating a biodiversity map for an educational institution, a university campus, it was one-of-a-kind, farsighted and, most importantly, truly local.
From Scientific American • May 20, 2023
But the farsighted and analytical statesman did manage to wrest his own homeland from the grip of czarism and from two other powers, Austria and Prussia.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2022
The question is whether local officials and leaders in Richmond, Annapolis and the District will be as farsighted now as they were in the spring of 2018.
From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2022
Now the families still living here are full of praise for his farsighted thinking.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
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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.