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Synonyms

view

American  
[vyoo] / vyu /

noun

  1. an instance of seeing or beholding; visual inspection.

  2. sight; vision.

  3. range of sight or vision.

    Several running deer came into the view of the hunters.

  4. a sight or prospect of a landscape, the sea, etc..

    His apartment affords a view of the park.

  5. a picture or photograph of something.

    The postcard bears a view of Vesuvius.

  6. a particular manner of looking at something.

    From a practical view, the situation presents several problems.

  7. contemplation or consideration of a matter with reference to action.

    a project in view.

  8. aim, intention, or purpose.

    Synonyms:
    intent, end, design, object
  9. prospect; expectation.

    the view for the future.

  10. a sight afforded of something from a position stated or qualified.

    a bird's-eye view.

  11. a general account or description of a subject.

  12. a conception of a thing; opinion; theory.

    His view was not supported by the facts.

    Synonyms:
    valuation, impression, assessment, estimation, judgment, belief
  13. a survey; inspection.

    a view of Restoration comedy.


verb (used with object)

  1. to see; watch.

    to view a movie.

    Synonyms:
    regard, contemplate, witness
  2. to look at; survey; inspect.

    to view the construction of a road.

  3. to contemplate mentally; consider.

    to view the repercussions of a decision.

  4. to regard in a particular light or as specified.

    She views every minor setback as a disaster.

  5. Fox Hunting. to sight (a fox).

idioms

  1. in view of, in consideration of; on account of.

    In view of the circumstances, it seems best to wait until tomorrow.

  2. on view, in a place for public inspection; on exhibition.

    The latest models of automobiles are now on view.

  3. in view,

    1. within range of vision.

    2. under consideration.

    3. as an end sought.

      She went over the material with the scholarship examination in view.

  4. with a view to,

    1. with the aim or intention of.

    2. with the expectation or hope of.

      They saved their money with a view to being able to buy a house someday.

view British  
/ vjuː /

noun

  1. the act of seeing or observing; an inspection

  2. vision or sight, esp range of vision

    the church is out of view

  3. a scene, esp of a fine tract of countryside

    the view from the top was superb

  4. a pictorial representation of a scene, such as a photograph

  5. (sometimes plural) opinion; thought

    my own view on the matter differs from yours

  6. chance or expectation

    the policy has little view of success

  7. (foll by to) a desired end or intention

    he has a view to securing further qualifications

  8. a general survey of a topic, subject, etc

    a comprehensive view of Shakespearean literature

  9. visual aspect or appearance

    they look the same in outward view

  10. law

    1. a formal inspection by a jury of the place where an alleged crime was committed

    2. a formal inspection of property in dispute

  11. a sight of a hunted animal before or during the chase

  12. taking into consideration

  13. exhibited to the public gaze

  14. to regard (something) with disfavour or disapproval

    1. with the intention of

    2. in anticipation or hope of

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to look at

  2. (tr) to consider in a specified manner

    they view the growth of Communism with horror

  3. (tr) to examine or inspect carefully

    to view the accounts

  4. (tr) to survey mentally; contemplate

    to view the difficulties

  5. to watch (television)

  6. (tr) to sight (a hunted animal) before or during the chase

"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
view More Idioms  
  1. see bird's eye view; in (view) the light of; in view; on view; point of view; take a dim view; with a view to.


Related Words

View, prospect, scene, vista refer to a landscape or perspective. View is a general word, referring to whatever lies open to sight: a fine view of the surrounding country. Prospect suggests a sweeping and often distant view, as from a place of vantage: a beautiful prospect to the south. Scene suggests an organic unity in the details such as is to be found in a picture: a woodland scene. Vista suggests a long, narrow view, as along an avenue between rows of trees: a pleasant vista. See opinion.

Other Word Forms

  • multiview adjective
  • unviewed adjective
  • viewable adjective

Etymology

Origin of view

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English v(i)ewe (noun), from Anglo-French; Middle French veue “sight,” from unattested Vulgar Latin vidūta, noun use of feminine of unattested vidūtus, for Latin vīsus, past participle of vidēre “to see”

Explanation

A view is a scene or vista that's visible from a certain point. If you think your hotel room has a view of the ocean, it'll be disappointing to open the blinds and discover your view of a Dumpster instead. The range of what you can see is also called your view. When you're keeping an eye on kids at the beach, you try to keep them in your view. As a verb, view means to watch. It might be hard for you to sit still while you view a really scary movie, or even to keep from screaming out loud.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing view

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.

Oil-market investors view the blockade as an escalation of tensions, with the price of Brent crude—the global benchmark—rising 4.4% to nearly US$100 a barrel on Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Analysts now view CoreWeave as a key “structural player” in AI, transitioning from model training to inference, with accelerating demand.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

That same view is highlighted in great detail in the listing, which notes that the vistas can be enjoyed from both the inside and outside spaces.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

It will shift your perspective and possibly the way you view life.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

The thunder of the, falls was loud, and from its sound, and the view of treetops at the cave mouth, he guessed they must be some way up the side of the valley.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver