see
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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sees,
present (3rd person singular)
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saw,
past
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seen,
past participle
-
seeing
present participle
-
to perceive with the eyes; look at.
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to view; visit or attend as a spectator.
to see a play.
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to perceive by means of computer vision.
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to scan or view, especially by electronic means.
The satellite can see the entire southern half of the country.
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to perceive (things) mentally; discern; understand.
to see the point of an argument.
- Synonyms:
- comprehend, penetrate
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to construct a mental image of; visualize.
He still saw his father as he was 25 years ago.
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to accept or imagine or suppose as acceptable.
I can't see him as president.
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to be cognizant of; recognize.
to see the good in others;
to see where the mistake is.
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to foresee.
He could see war ahead.
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to ascertain, learn, or find out.
See who is at the door.
- Synonyms:
- determine
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to have knowledge or experience of.
to see service in the foreign corps.
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to make sure.
See that the work is done.
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to meet and converse with.
Are you seeing her at lunch today?
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to receive as a visitor.
The ambassador finally saw him.
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to visit.
He's gone to see his aunt.
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to court, keep company with, or date frequently.
They've been seeing each other for a long time.
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to provide aid or assistance to; take care of.
He's seeing his brother through college.
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to attend or escort.
to see someone home.
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Cards. to match (a bet) or match the bet of (a bettor) by staking an equal sum; call.
I'll see your five and raise you five more.
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to prefer (someone or something) to be as indicated (usually used as a mild oath).
I'll see you in hell before I sell you this house. He'll see the business fail before he admits he's wrong.
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to read or read about.
I saw it in the newspaper.
verb (used without object)
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sees,
present (3rd person singular)
-
saw,
past
-
seen,
past participle
-
seeing
present participle
-
to have the power of sight.
-
to be capable of perceiving by means of computer vision.
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to understand intellectually or spiritually; have insight.
Philosophy teaches us to see.
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to give attention or care.
See, there it goes.
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to find out; make inquiry.
Go and see for yourself.
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to consider; think; deliberate.
Let me see, how does that song go?
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to look about; observe.
They heard the noise and came out to see.
verb phrase
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see off to take leave of someone setting out on a journey; accompany to the place of departure.
I went to the airport to see them off.
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see after to attend to; take care of.
Will you please see after my plants while I'm away?
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see to to take care of; be responsible for.
I'll see to the theater tickets.
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see out to remain with (a task, project, etc.) until its completion.
We decided to see it out, even if it meant another year.
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see about
-
to investigate; inquire about.
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to turn one's attention to; take care of.
He said he would see about getting the license plates.
-
-
see through
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to penetrate to the true nature of; comprehend; detect.
He quickly saw through my story.
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to stay with to the end or until completion; persevere.
to see a difficult situation through.
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noun
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sees
plural
verb
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to perceive with the eyes
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to perceive (an idea) mentally; understand
I explained the problem but he could not see it
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(tr) to perceive with any or all of the senses
I hate to see you so unhappy
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to be aware of in advance; foresee
I can see what will happen if you don't help
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to ascertain or find out (a fact); learn
see who is at the door
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to make sure (of something) or take care (of something)
see that he gets to bed early
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to consider, deliberate, or decide
see if you can come next week
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(tr) to have experience of; undergo
he had seen much unhappiness in his life
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(tr) to allow to be in a specified condition
I cannot stand by and see a child in pain
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(tr) to be characterized by
this period of history has seen much unrest
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(tr) to meet or pay a visit to
to see one's solicitor
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(tr) to receive, esp as a guest or visitor
the Prime Minister will see the deputation now
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(tr) to frequent the company of
she is seeing a married man
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(tr) to accompany or escort
I saw her to the door
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(tr) to refer to or look up
for further information see the appendix
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(in gambling, esp in poker) to match (another player's bet) or match the bet of (another player) by staking an equal sum
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to the best of my judgment or understanding
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(takes an infinitive) to consider proper, desirable, etc
I don't see fit to allow her to come here
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informal to refuse absolutely to do what one has been asked
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informal to ensure fair treatment of (someone)
if he has cheated you, I'll see you right
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See light 1
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an expression of farewell
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informal a parenthetical filler phrase used to make a pause in speaking or add slight emphasis
noun
Synonym Usage
See watch.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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seesimple
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seessimple
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have seenperfect
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has seenperfect
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am seeingprogressive
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are seeingprogressive
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is seeingprogressive
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have been seeingperfect progressive
-
has been seeingperfect progressive
Past
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sawsimple
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had seenperfect
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was seeingprogressive
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were seeingprogressive
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had been seeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of see1
First recorded before 900; Middle English sen, seen, se, Old English sēon, sēan, sían; cognate with Dutch zien, German sehen, Old Norse sjā, Gothic saihwan
Origin of see2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English se(e), sce, sse, from Old French sie,se, sce, from Latin sēdes “seat”
Explanation
See is what your eyes do. However, this word has loads of meanings: you can see a shrink, which means you're consulting a psychiatrist; or you can be seeing your high school sweetheart, which means you're dating him. See usually means passively observing, while look, which is also something you do with your eyes, is more active and intentional. When someone says, "The president will see you now," the president is sitting there passively, waiting for you to be shown in. You can say "I see," to mean "I understand; I get it." Or you can look into your crystal ball and see into the future, in which case you'd be called a seer.
Vocabulary lists containing see
3-letter words, List 2
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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.
See Examples For:
“We don’t see many signs that would get us worried about a downshift in momentum,” said Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
“As you can see, there’s a large community here that does not want that place to open.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
In his role Infantino is expected to visit the 211 member nations, to see the grassroots projects Fifa has funded.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
His term expires in January, and many Minnesotans will be relieved to see him go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Strange how some would rather see Perkins starve than accept food from me.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
As Stahle sees it, stymied job seekers are showing in the numbers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The bulk of the loss in July was attributed to the local government education sector, which sees thousands of teachers drop off payrolls in the summer months.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
McCoy said he now sees his winery’s luxury brands being tagged on social media by passengers aboard United flights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Jaissle, though, sees the club's rebuild as an opportunity to start a new cycle and mould a young, hungry side after succeeding predecessor Eddie Howe.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
As soon as Babs sees us, her whole face lights up.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Ramon Jesurun, a close ally of Infantino's, saw it as a chance to show his support, with the two men smiling in a photo opportunity for the federation's Instagram account.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
At Tesco, that was “to serve Britain’s shoppers a little better each day,” he said, which 96% of people across the company understood, felt motivated by, and saw the role they played in supporting it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Their farmhouse was already old when I first saw it in 1966, complete with a chicken coop out back.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The second world war saw the loss of dinosaur fossils on both sides of the conflict.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
I ask after I tell Dr. Crowchild everything that’s happened since I last saw her.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
"Labour force participation is back at levels not seen since the days of Covid, meaning jobs just aren't being created," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Most of us have seen photos of the first atomic blasts—the ever-expanding mushroom clouds, the fireballs, the vast devastation—that would end World War II and forever change our lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Vitamin C was filed away with other “alternative” remedies, and Pauling’s late-career crusade was widely seen as a sad mistake.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Wake up, kids: I’ve seen this behavior before.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
She recognizes him immediately—she’d seen him go underground behind the Engineering Building.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
This run of episodes features the Seattle Seahawks—my home team—which I find less compelling than the prospect of seeing where the Lady Greyhounds end up.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Despite the suffering and challenges of relocating his hives to an unfamiliar landscape, Al-Dabba said he found "hope after seeing the bees coexist and adapt".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
AXT reported second-quarter revenue of $47.6 million on July 30, up 165% — swinging to a profit while seeing gross margins dramatically expand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Before, that would’ve meant barely seeing the sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
I dipped my petticoat into the stream, then raised it to his face, cleaning his mouth, his nose, seeing his freckles like Maggie’s and his blue eyes like Da’s.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
