vista

¹ American  

[vis-tuh] / ˈvɪs tə /

noun

1. a view or prospect, especially one seen through a long, narrow avenue or passage, as between rows of trees or houses.

2. such an avenue or passage, especially when formally planned.

3. a far-reaching mental view.

   vistas of the future.

   Synonyms:

   vision, outlook, prospect

---

Vista ² American  

[vis-tuh] / ˈvɪs tə /

noun

1. a town in SW California.

---

VISTA ³ American  

[vis-tuh] / ˈvɪs tə /

noun

1. a national program in the U.S., sponsored by ACTION, for sending volunteers into poor areas to teach various job skills.

---

vista ¹ British  

/ ˈvɪstə /

noun

1. a view, esp through a long narrow avenue of trees, buildings, etc, or such a passage or avenue itself; prospect

   a vista of arches

2. a comprehensive mental view of a distant time or a lengthy series of events

   the vista of the future

---

VISTA ² British  

/ ˈvɪstə /

acronym

1. Volunteers in Service to America; an organization of volunteers established by the Federal government to assist the poor

---

Usage

What does vista mean? A vista is a wide view of a scene, especially a sweeping outdoor scene such as a mountain valley or beach.Traditionally, vista referred to a view seen through a long, narrow passage, such as between two rows of trees or buildings, but this meaning is now less commonly used.Example: The description for this hotel room claims that we’ll have a vista of the mountain at sunrise from our balcony.

Related Words

See view.

Other Word Forms

• vistaed adjective
• vistaless adjective

Etymology

Origin of vista¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Italian: “a view,” noun use of feminine of visto (past participle of vedere “to see,” from Latin vidēre )

Origin of VISTA³

V(olunteers) i(n) S(ervice) t(o) A(merica)

Example Sentences

The vistas and pristine forests of the sugar-maple trees have remained “largely unchanged” and “untrammeled” for centuries.

From The Wall Street Journal

So many L.A. movies take advantage of the city’s golden light — especially those dramatic orange vistas that transform the landscape at sunset.

From Los Angeles Times

The words "tourism" and "Croatia" are likely to conjure visons of sparkling Adriatic vistas during the hottest months of the year.

From BBC

There aren’t as many rules as in contract bridge, but it does offer the horizon-less vista of a brand-new game of Monopoly.

From The Wall Street Journal

The group encountered picturesque vistas along the way, but the physical difficulties were real.

From The Wall Street Journal