purview
Americannoun
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the range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc.
- Synonyms:
- extent, compass, responsibility, scope
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the range of vision, insight, or understanding.
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Law.
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that which is provided or enacted in a statute, as distinguished from the preamble.
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the purpose or scope of a statute.
-
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the full scope or compass of any document, statement, subject, book, etc.
noun
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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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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.
Primary Venture Partners, which invested exclusively in New York via its first two funds before the Covid pandemic, has expanded its geographic purview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
The Clarity Act would place most crypto trading under the purview of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
He is right that the Fed has strayed well beyond its purview and should revert its focus to price stability and full employment.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
When it comes to audits, Morgan argues that Cohen isn’t effectively using the purview of the office.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Yet, with her prescience, she was aware of dooms and sorrows outside her lover's purview.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
