viewpoint
Americannoun
-
a place affording a view of something; position of observation.
to sketch a river from the viewpoint of a bluff.
-
an attitude of mind, or the circumstances of an individual that conduce to such an attitude.
new marketing techniques seen from the consumer's viewpoint.
- Synonyms:
- angle, stance, position, perspective, standpoint
noun
-
the mental attitude that determines a person's opinions or judgments; point of view
-
a place from which something can be viewed
Etymology
Origin of viewpoint
First recorded in 1855–60; alteration of point of view, modeled on standpoint
Explanation
Your viewpoint is the particular way you see the world, or your distinct perspective on things. It’s literally your point of view! To stop arguing with someone, try to see things from their viewpoint so you can kiss and make up. Use viewpoint to talk about a person's individual attitude about things. A parent, for example, often has a different viewpoint about bedtime than a child does. Conflicts in politics come up due to differing viewpoints on issues like taxes, welfare, and defense. Another way to say viewpoint is "point of view." The earliest meaning of viewpoint was in the physical sense, as when you stand on the roof of a building to get a great viewpoint of the city.
Vocabulary lists containing viewpoint
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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List 8
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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.
We support your editorial's call to strengthen civics education and viewpoint diversity on college campuses.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
This viewpoint, too, was carefully challenged by the King, who said he himself had served with "immense pride" in the Royal Navy, following in "the naval footsteps" of his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
The hike up is super easy, but there’s a field of flowers that you walk through to get to the viewpoint where everyone takes pictures overlooking the beach.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
At a viewpoint overlooking Chiang Mai, the city skyline was almost entirely obscured, with only faint outlines of hills visible through a dense grey haze and a dim orange sun hanging in the sky.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The simple answer is because I am telling the story from Maddie’s point of view, and it would be awkward to introduce another viewpoint character at this point.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
