viewpoint
Americannoun
-
viewpoints
plural
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Rather than engage in a diplomatic spat, Visit Norway embraced the president’s characterization, promoting restrooms that include the award-winning Stegastein viewpoint toilet overlooking Aurlandsfjord and the triangular Golden Toilet on Senja Island.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
It aims to offer an alternative viewpoint to the "big three" global credit ratings -- Fitch, Moody's and S&P -- which have been accused in the past of unfairly playing down African economies.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Gunnell acknowledges divisions within the organisation - but takes a more optimistic viewpoint.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
From the players’ viewpoint, the successive sales of major league franchises at record values — the San Diego Padres at $3.9 billion, then the Angels at $4 billion — reflects good economic times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
From my viewpoint at the top of the rocket, I saw you come in at the far end of the park.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
The former can help you compare the costs of staying versus going, while the latter can help you see each other’s viewpoints.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
"Whether it's your friends or your family, everybody has their own relationships with, and viewpoints on, the police," says Dearbháile McKinney, star of BBC drama Blue Lights.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
If objectivity is the initiative, then both viewpoints must have their advantages and follies fully rendered.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
“Gene Roddenberry felt that our strength was in that diversity. Not just physical and racial diversity, but diversity of viewpoints, diversity of experience and background, diversity of personal passions.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
As a matter of fact, the conversation tended to be rather earnest in tone and some very interesting viewpoints were expressed.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
