myopia

American  

[mahy-oh-pee-uh] / maɪˈoʊ pi ə /

noun

myopias plural

1. Ophthalmology. a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused in front of the retina, objects being seen distinctly only when near to the eye; nearsightedness (opposed to hyperopia).

2. lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness.

3. narrow-mindedness; intolerance.

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myopia British  

/ maɪˈəʊpɪə, maɪˈɒpɪk /

noun

1. inability to see distant objects clearly because the images are focused in front of the retina; short-sightedness

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myopia Scientific  

/ mī-ō′pē-ə /

1. A defect of the eye that causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in an inability to see distant objects clearly. Myopia is often caused by an elongated eyeball or a misshapen lens.

2. Also called nearsightedness

3. Compare hyperopia

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myopia Cultural  

1. Nearsightedness. Myopia is a visual defect in which light that enters the eye is focused in front of the retina rather than directly on it, so that distant objects appear blurred. Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or LASIK.

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Discover More

The term is often used to indicate an inability to see into the future: “The new policy is incredibly myopic, and puts future generations at a great disadvantage for the sake of a few short-term gains.”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• myopic
  adjective
• myopically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• myopias
  plural

Etymology

Origin of myopia

First recorded in 1685–95; from New Latin, from Greek myōpía, from myōp- (stem of mýōps, “nearsighted,” literally, “blinking,” from mý(ein) “to shut” + ṓps “eye, face”) + -ia -ia; see also eye ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does myopia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• astigmatism vs. myopia

Explanation

Myopia is nearsightedness, which means you see things more clearly that are closer to your eye. You probably suffer from myopia if you walk into the living room and notice the chair in front of you but not the chair ten feet away. If you have myopia, things farther away look out of focus. Also, this can mean narrow-mindedness and intolerance. Due to the first kind of myopia, someone might always hold the menu two centimeters from their eyeballs at restaurants. Due to the second kind, someone might avoid people with different opinions from their own.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

myopia myopias

Jim Hausman, 59, a real-estate entrepreneur, attributes his sixth-grade son’s myopia and prebedtime anxiety, in part, to the Chromebook the boy has used in school for years and brings home daily.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Sydnexis has spent a decade developing atropine eye drops that slow the progression of pediatric myopia, a growing problem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

European regulators have also green-lit treatments by Sydnexis for progressive childhood myopia and Atara-Pierre Fabre’s for a rare blood cancer, both of which were recently rejected by the FDA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

In laboratory research, myopia can be triggered in animal models through visual deprivation or the use of negative lenses, and these two methods are believed to involve different neuronal pathways.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026

Grey, feathery ashes scurried hither and thither at his breath but no spark shone among them The twins watched anxiously and Piggy sat expressionless behind the luminous wall of his myopia.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Like all TV shows, but especially ones that capture the zeitgeist, it’s a product of its time, reflecting the myopias of the era and of its creative team.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2021

But alongside generational myopias there is wisdom, too.

From New York Times ● Sep. 19, 2020

Ultimately, however, as the disorientation expands, we realise that there are not just misogynies at work here: there are cultural myopias, competing models of freedom, competing versions of Islam.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 22, 2020

But it’s also a symbol for certain insistent myopias of masculinity.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 4, 2019

Related Words

• narrow-mindedness