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Perspective comes from a Latin root meaning what?

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perspective

American  

[per-spek-tiv] / pərˈspɛk tɪv /

noun

• perspectives
  plural

1. 

   a technique of depicting volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface.

2. a picture employing this technique, especially one in which it is prominent.

   an architect's perspective of a house.

3. a visible scene, especially one extending to a distance; vista.

   a perspective on the main axis of an estate.

4. the state of existing in space before the eye.

   The elevations look all right, but the building's composition is a failure in perspective.

5. the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship.

   You have to live here a few years to see local conditions in perspective.

6. the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship.

   Your data is admirably detailed but it lacks perspective.

7. a mental view or prospect.

   the dismal perspective of terminally ill patients.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the art of perspective, or represented according to its laws.

perspective British  

/ pəˈspɛktɪv /

noun

1. a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance

2. the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it; objectivity

   try to get some perspective on your troubles

3. the theory or art of suggesting three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface, in order to recreate the appearance and spatial relationships that objects or a scene in recession present to the eye

4. the appearance of objects, buildings, etc, relative to each other, as determined by their distance from the viewer, or the effects of this distance on their appearance

5. a view over some distance in space or time; vista; prospect

6. a picture showing perspective

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perspective Cultural  

1. In drawing or painting, a way of portraying three dimensions on a flat, two-dimensional surface by suggesting depth or distance.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonperspective
  noun
• perspectival
  adjective
• perspectived
  adjective
• perspectiveless
  adjective
• perspectively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perspectives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of perspective

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin perspectīva (ars) “optical (science),” perspectīvum “optical glass,” noun uses of feminine and neuter of perspectīvus “optical,” equivalent to Latin perspect(us) “looked at closely,” past participle of perspicere “to look at closely” ( see per-, inspect) + -īvus -ive

Explanation

Your perspective is the way you see something. If you think that toys corrupt children's minds, then from your perspective a toy shop is an evil place. Perspective has a Latin root meaning "look through" or "perceive," and all the meanings of perspective have something to do with looking. If you observe the world from a dog's perspective, you see through the dog's eyes. In drawing, perspective gives your drawing the appearance of depth or distance. If we say someone "has perspective," we mean she has a sensible outlook on life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perspective perspectives

“I no longer really care to post a ton of controversial opinions,” she said this week, “and my perspective changed on that because of the business partnership I was telling you guys about.”

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Going down to 10 men on the way to a 1-0 derby defeat is far from ideal, but at full-time Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca offered a different perspective.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

The latest unemployment reading from August was 4.1% — which is still a relatively low figure from a historical perspective, but it’s a cooler job market than previous years, particularly for recent college graduates.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Train driver-in-training Romain Hamel, 34, said in Paris that AI was developing so quickly that "we don't have enough perspective yet".

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

The introduction of a new meaning for descrobrir implied a radical shift in perspective and a transformation in how people understood their own actions.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Italy's far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that although their "backgrounds and perspectives differed, that never prevented me from acknowledging her significance and her role in our nation's public life".

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Time and reality have a way of changing people’s perspectives, and I suspect many people will eventually regret some of the choices they made while they were angry.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Locatelli said having two perspectives meant they could examine food from "360 degrees".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Recent media reporting has portrayed varying perspectives on operational tempo, crew morale and the realities facing our deployed forces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

But even to pose that question is to illustrate the gap between ancient perspectives and our own expectations of mass literacy.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• angle
• aspect
• attitude
• context
• mindset
• prospect
• viewpoint