vision

American  

[vizh-uhn] / ˈvɪʒ ən /

noun

1. the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.

2. the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.

   prophetic vision;

   the vision of an entrepreneur.

   Synonyms:

   discernment, perception

3. 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.

4. something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience.

   The vision revealed its message.

   Synonyms:

   chimera, phantasm, apparition

5. a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation.

   visions of wealth and glory.

6. something seen; an object of sight.

7. a scene, person, etc., of extraordinary beauty.

   The sky was a vision of red and pink.

8. computer vision.

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verb (used with object)

1. to envision, or picture mentally.

   She tried to vision herself in a past century.

vision British  

/ ˈvɪʒən /

noun

1. the act, faculty, or manner of perceiving with the eye; sight

2. 1. the image on a television screen

   2. ( as modifier )

      vision control

3. the ability or an instance of great perception, esp of future developments

   a man of vision

4. a mystical or religious experience of seeing some supernatural event, person, etc

   the vision of St John of the Cross

5. that which is seen, esp in such a mystical experience

6. (sometimes plural) a vivid mental image produced by the imagination

   he had visions of becoming famous

7. a person or thing of extraordinary beauty

8. the stated aims and objectives of a business or other organization

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verb

1. (tr) to see or show in or as if in a vision

Synonym Usage

See dream.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• visionless
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

And I think if that vision is shared by Tim Cook, then he’ll be leaving at a time when he has sort of set the company up for the next era.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Roy “micro-targeted” likely progressive voters in social media spots, experts said, presenting as an affable presence in her ever-present purple blazer while sharing her vision of serving as the “people’s lawyer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Last year Apple announced the retirement of its head of AI after he failed to deliver a better vision for Siri.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Before that happens, management will try to convince investors to buy into founder Elon Musk’s vision of the future.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

I wave the crust in the air slowly, making sure to keep it in the creature’s line of vision.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• aspect
• conception
• dream
• fantasy
• foresight
• idea
• ideal
• imagination
• insight
• outlook
• perspective
• point of view
• understanding
• view