vision
Americannoun
-
visions
plural
-
the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.
-
the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.
prophetic vision;
the vision of an entrepreneur.
- Synonyms:
- discernment, perception
-
an experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present, often under the influence of a divine or other agency.
a heavenly messenger appearing in a vision.
-
something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience.
The vision revealed its message.
- Synonyms:
- chimera, phantasm, apparition
-
a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation.
visions of wealth and glory.
-
something seen; an object of sight.
-
a scene, person, etc., of extraordinary beauty.
The sky was a vision of red and pink.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the act, faculty, or manner of perceiving with the eye; sight
-
-
the image on a television screen
-
( as modifier )
vision control
-
-
the ability or an instance of great perception, esp of future developments
a man of vision
-
a mystical or religious experience of seeing some supernatural event, person, etc
the vision of St John of the Cross
-
that which is seen, esp in such a mystical experience
-
(sometimes plural) a vivid mental image produced by the imagination
he had visions of becoming famous
-
a person or thing of extraordinary beauty
-
the stated aims and objectives of a business or other organization
verb
Synonym Usage
See dream.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vision
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin vīsiōn-, stem of vīsiō “sight,” literally “a seeing,” equivalent to vīs(us) “seen,” past participle of vidēre “to see” + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you are getting your eyes checked, a doctor is checking on your vision — or your ability to see. But if you have visions of unicorns romping over rainbows, that's a whole other issue that the eye doctor can't address. The noun vision describes how well you can see, but it can also refer to things you may see, but that aren't physically there. Sometimes people claim to have religious visions of God, angels, the Virgin Mary, and so on. The word can also be used to describe something that is lovely: "The bride was a vision in white."
Vocabulary lists containing vision
Macbeth's "Is this a dagger..." soliloquy
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"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark" by Emily Dickinson
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Physics - Introductory
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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:
That dynamic increases the pressure on Warsh to explain his vision publicly at Jackson Hole.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
What he finds special about the L.A. aesthetic is the expansiveness of the vision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"When I opened my eyes after the operation it felt like I had got 360-degree vision - I hadn't seen that clearly for a year," said Hibbert.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"She certainly found a way to preserve her artistic vision while also inviting people to continue to be a part of her legacy," Tallon said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
This vision is unlike the ones with Kumu Whitman and Dad.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
That was once the HBO way, after all: taking a chance on new visions, instead of blowing the cobwebs off old ones.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
“I want to give them their own playing field to create and make their visions come to life with affordable stages.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Senate race, both Ken Paxton and James Talarico have been campaigning around the state, meeting voters everywhere from restaurants to music halls as they’ve pitched their political visions.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
"I had visions of him pushing me into the room and closing the door behind me."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
I had visions of sticking it on with a hatpin or perhaps wallpaper paste, neither of which seemed like a particularly good idea.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
