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Synonyms

mind's eye

American  

noun

  1. the hypothetical site of visual recollection or imagination.

    In her mind's eye she saw the city as it had been in Caesar's time.
mind's eye British  

noun

  1. the visual memory or the imagination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mind's eye

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

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.

"Before their death, the heroic martyrs must have pictured in their mind's eye their dear families living in the ever-prospering country," he added.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Let your mind’s eye wander around the scene.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

It's an image in the mind's eye that's hard to shift.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

As these descriptions illustrate, the pieces on “Tranquilizer” produce images, though the film that plays in your mind’s eye as the record unfolds may be unlike any you’ve seen before.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

In her mind’s eye Mother got teary as she unwrapped a silk saree that Naima had picked out.

From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins

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.