vision
Americannoun
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the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.
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the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.
prophetic vision;
the vision of an entrepreneur.
- Synonyms:
- discernment, perception
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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.
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something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience.
The vision revealed its message.
- Synonyms:
- chimera, phantasm, apparition
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a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation.
visions of wealth and glory.
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something seen; an object of sight.
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a scene, person, etc., of extraordinary beauty.
The sky was a vision of red and pink.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the act, faculty, or manner of perceiving with the eye; sight
-
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the image on a television screen
-
( as modifier )
vision control
-
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the ability or an instance of great perception, esp of future developments
a man of vision
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a mystical or religious experience of seeing some supernatural event, person, etc
the vision of St John of the Cross
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that which is seen, esp in such a mystical experience
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(sometimes plural) a vivid mental image produced by the imagination
he had visions of becoming famous
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a person or thing of extraordinary beauty
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the stated aims and objectives of a business or other organization
verb
Related Words
See dream.
Other Word 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
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.
US President Donald Trump asked Congress on Friday for $152 million to begin rebuilding the notorious Alcatraz prison, pressing ahead with his vision to return the former island lockup to active use.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Many of those projects have struggled as grandiose vision and gravity-defying architectural plans have met budget reality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
"We've all had that moment of wandering into a club and scanning the room with your peripheral vision and being like, 'Are they there? Are they there?'" she says.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Metcalf: When I’m doing it, I have a vision of what it looks like, and it’s never anything like that and it shakes me up in a bad way.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, had a very different vision.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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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.