Synonyms

visualize

American

[vizh-oo-uh-lahyz] / ˈvɪʒ u əˌlaɪz /

especially British, visualise

verb (used without object)

visualized, visualizing

to recall or form mental images or pictures.

verb (used with object)

visualized, visualizing

to make visual or visible.
to form a mental image of.
to make perceptible to the mind or imagination.

visualize British

/ ˈvɪʒʊəˌlaɪz, -zjʊ- /

verb

to form a mental image of (something incapable of being viewed or not at that moment visible)
med to view by means of an X-ray the outline of (a bodily organ, structure, or part)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

nonvisualized adjective
revisualization noun
revisualize verb
unvisualized adjective
visualist noun
visualizable adjective
visualization noun
visualizer noun
well-visualized adjective

Etymology

Origin of visualize

First recorded in 1810–20; visual + -ize

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.

Instead, researchers relied on micro-CT scanning, which allowed them to visualize the full skeleton in just a few months.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

To visualize microscopic asbestos fibers in talcum powder, he brought a bale of hay into a courtroom and dropped a needle into the blades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Try to visualize how the party looked, but from a different angle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

"It's hard to visualize what it's going to be like moving forward."

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

She closed her eyes and tried to visualize it, a cup filling to the brim.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023