vision

American  

[vizh-uhn] / ˈvɪʒ ən /

noun

visions plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• visions
  plural

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

See Examples For:

vision visions

Head Start operators, which include school districts and nonprofit organizations, are required to provide medical, dental and vision screenings for children and to monitor them for developmental delays.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

"Our vision is to provide green, sustainable tools that will allow us to harness these plants' natural power," Hamberger said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

"I had a view of Chelsea from the outside," he explained, revealing how carefully he considered the move to Stamford Bridge and the early discussions with sporting directors about his vision for the club.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Puls shared her long-term career vision with Ivanti CEO Dennis Kozak and requested opportunities with more revenue accountability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The children, whose nighttime vision was evidently far keener than her own, seemed to be busy arranging something at her feet.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Nolan’s non-CGI visions of the Trojan Horse, the Cyclops, the sacking of Troy, the transformation of men into pigs do not require an “ultimate” aspect ratio to be remarkable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Only larger European banking champions, with European and global visions, detached from national control, can play this role,” Angeloni said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Now you are blinking at the screen, as unread emails or your boss's requests morph into visions of Jude Bellingham's flying header.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Before the first fireworks explode, America’s 250th birthday has already revealed something less ceremonial: a national celebration being reshaped in real time by weather, infrastructure limits and competing visions of what, exactly, is being celebrated.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Tonight, his mind was awash with visions: nothing remained.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Related Words

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