purview
Americannoun
-
the range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc.
- Synonyms:
- extent, compass, responsibility, scope
-
the range of vision, insight, or understanding.
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Law.
-
that which is provided or enacted in a statute, as distinguished from the preamble.
-
the purpose or scope of a statute.
-
-
the full scope or compass of any document, statement, subject, book, etc.
noun
-
the scope of operation or concern of something
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the breadth or range of outlook or understanding
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law the body of a statute, containing the enacting clauses
Etymology
Origin of purview
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English purveu, from Anglo-French: past participle of purveier “to furnish or supply”; see origin at purvey
Explanation
The range or scope of something is its purview. If you are a professional race car driver, performing surgery is way outside your purview. Anything inside a range of interest or activity is within a purview. A supervisor is in charge of certain workers — other workers are outside her purview. The surgeon general deals with medical issues: the defense budget is outside his purview. When a business expands, it's trying to increase its purview. If you go to the dentist and ask her to paint a picture of your tooth rather than extracting it, you're likely to discover you've gone way beyond her purview.
Vocabulary lists containing purview
Common Senses: Vid, Vis ("See")
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This Week In Words: August 17–23, 2019
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Between the World and Me
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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.
Jean and Joan’s shared existence would otherwise make their days dull and predictable, but their bizarre circumstances let them see beyond their own purview and into someone else’s, even if only for a blip.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Property taxes are generally the purview of the estate itself.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
When chartering the trust in 1949, Congress expressly excluded the White House from its purview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Constitutional meaning, which you write, is as much the purview of the public as it is the job of a jurist.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Music education in the early 20th century continued under the purview of the music supervisor, while classroom teachers were trained to teach music to their students.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
