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Dictionary / vision

vision

/ˈvɪʒ.ən/ [ˈvɪʒ.n̩]
  • noun
  • verb
  • from Anglo-Norman

The sense or ability of sight.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “vision” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

noun

  1. uncountableThe sense or ability of sight.
  2. countableSomething seen; an object perceived visually.

    It was the Lost Oasis, the Oasis of the vision in the sand. […] Deep-hidden in the hollow, beneath the cliffs, it lay; and round it the happy verdure spread for many a rood. […] Yes, the quest was ended, the Lost Oasis was the Found!1892, James Yoxall, chapter 7, in The Lonely Pyramid:

  3. countableSomething imaginary one thinks one sees.

    He tried drinking from the pool of water, but realized it was only a vision.

  4. broadlycountableSomething unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy.
  5. broadlycountableA perceived potential future event or occurrence.

    I know you wanted me to stay But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA2020 April 3, Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro, “Pink Pony Club”performed by Chappell Roan:

  6. countableAn ideal or a goal toward which one aspires.

    He worked tirelessly toward his vision of world peace.

  7. uncountableGeneral aspiration; forward-thinkingness.

    I can't stand this indecision Married with a lack of vision Everybody wants to rule the—1985, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, in Songs from the Big Chair, performed by Tears for Fears:

  8. countableA religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance.

    He had a vision of the Virgin Mary.

  9. countableA person or thing of extraordinary beauty.
  10. uncountablePre-recorded film or tape; footage.
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

  1. transitiveTo imagine something as if it were to be true.
  2. transitiveTo present as in a vision.
  3. transitiveTo provide with a vision.
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (5)
  1. nouna vivid mental image
  2. nounthe ability to see; the visual faculty — also: sight, visual sense, visual modality
  3. nounthe perceptual experience of seeing — also: visual sensation
  4. nounthe formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses — also: imagination, imaginativeness
  5. nouna religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: sight, eyesight, view, perception, seeing, apparition, hallucination, mirage, dream, desire, aspiration, fantasy

Antonyms: ablepsia, blindness, cecity, farsightedness, hyperopia, myopia, nearsightedness, purblindness

Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)vision
  2. Middle Englishvisioun
  3. Anglo-Normanvisioun
  4. Old Frenchvision
  5. Latinvīsiō “vision, seeing”
  6. Latinthe
  7. Latinthe + action

From Middle English visioun, from Anglo-Norman visioun, from Old French vision, from Latin vīsiō (“vision, seeing”), noun of action from the perfect passive participle visus (“that which is seen”), from the verb videō (“to see”) + action noun suffix -iō.

Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “vision”

cosmovisioncountervisionEurovisionholovisioninfravisionmonovisionnoctovisionphonovisionpick-by-visionprevisionradiovisionretrovisionrevisionSmell-O-Visionsmell-o-visionstereovisionsupravisiontelevisionunvisionedvisibilityvisiblevisionalvisionaryvisioneeringvisionervisionicsvision-impairedvisionistvisionizevisionlessvisionlikevisionphonevisionproofvisionwisevisiphonevisiplatevisiscreenvisualenvision

Phrases & compounds

beatific visionbinocular visionBrobdingnagian visioncomputer visioncomputer vision syndromedistance visiondouble visionfield of visionheat visionLilliputian visionnear visionnight visionperipheral visionpersonal visionpoint of visionrear vision mirrorrear-vision mirrorsnowfield visiontunnel visionvision board

Related terms

eye
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “vision” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “vision” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman visioun
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin the + action
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“vision, seeing”
Latin vīsiō
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

vision n. [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from videre, visum, to see: akin to Gr. wit. See Wit, v., and cf. Advice, Clairvoyant, Envy, Evident, Provide, Revise, Survey, View, Visage, Visit.]

  1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight.
  2. The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.
  3. That which is seen; an object of sight.
  4. Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah.

vision v. t.

  1. To see in a vision; to dream.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

nounMeaning: Something seen; an object perceived visually.

It was the Lost Oasis, the Oasis of the vision in the sand. […] Deep-hidden in the hollow, beneath the cliffs, it lay; and round it the happy verdure spread for many a rood. […] Yes, the quest was ended, the Lost Oasis was the Found!1892, James Yoxall, chapter 7, in The Lonely Pyramid:

nounMeaning: Something imaginary one thinks one sees.

He tried drinking from the pool of water, but realized it was only a vision.

Visitations are a commonly reported afterlife phenomenon. For example, a dying patient has a vision of her mother, who has been dead for twenty years.2005, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler, On Grief and Grieving, →ISBN, page 107:

nounMeaning: A perceived potential future event or occurrence.

I know you wanted me to stay But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA2020 April 3, Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro, “Pink Pony Club”performed by Chappell Roan:

Gilead has always been a chilling vision of what America might become if right-wing theocrats seized absolute power and stripped women of all independence.2026 May 27, Judy Berman, “When Did On-Screen Weddings Get So Bleak?”, in TIME, archived from the original on 28 May 2026:

nounMeaning: An ideal or a goal toward which one aspires.

He worked tirelessly toward his vision of world peace.

To achieve their vision, they enlisted the local architectural designer Marcie Banks of Clementine Construction.2026 May 28, Ingrid Abramovitch, “Big Easy Does It”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 22:

nounMeaning: General aspiration; forward-thinkingness.

I can't stand this indecision Married with a lack of vision Everybody wants to rule the—1985, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, in Songs from the Big Chair, performed by Tears for Fears:

nounMeaning: A religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance.

He had a vision of the Virgin Mary.

nounMeaning: a vivid mental image

he had a vision of his own death

nounMeaning: the perceptual experience of seeing

the runners emerged from the trees into his clear vision

nounMeaning: a religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance

he had a vision of the Virgin Mary

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “vision” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

vision

/ˈvɪʒ.ən/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

vision

/ˈvɪʒ.ən/ · noun, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “vision” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (noun) The sense or ability of sight.
2. (noun) Something seen; an object perceived visually.
3. (noun) Something imaginary one thinks one sees.
4. (noun) Something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy.
5. (noun) A perceived potential future event or occurrence.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“He tried drinking from the pool of water, but realized it was only a vision.”

A. General aspiration; forward-thinkingness.
B. Something imaginary one thinks one sees.
C. Something seen; an object perceived visually.

Circle the meaning used.

“He worked tirelessly toward his vision of world peace.”

A. Something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy.
B. General aspiration; forward-thinkingness.
C. An ideal or a goal toward which one aspires.

Circle the meaning used.

“He had a vision of the Virgin Mary.”

A. A perceived potential future event or occurrence.
B. A religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance.
C. Something seen; an object perceived visually.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “vision” come into English from?   A. Anglo-Norman  B. Middle French  C. French  D. Middle Dutch

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “vision” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin vīsiō. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “vision” to mean: The sense or ability of sight.
Write a sentence using “vision” to mean: Something seen; an object perceived visually.
Write a sentence using “vision” to mean: Something imaginary one thinks one sees.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — vision

Which meaning, sentence 1: B. Something imaginary one thinks one sees.

Which meaning, sentence 2: C. An ideal or a goal toward which one aspires.

Which meaning, sentence 3: B. A religious or mystical experience of a supernatural appearance.

Origin: A. Anglo-Norman (Anglo-Norman visioun)

Journey: English vision ← Middle English visioun ← Anglo-Norman visioun ← Old French vision ← Latin vīsiō ← Latin the ← Latin the + action

Some derivatives: cosmovision, countervision, Eurovision, holovision, infravision, monovision, noctovision, phonovision

Original meaning: Latin vīsiō — “vision, seeing”

Etymology: From Middle English visioun, from Anglo-Norman visioun, from Old French vision, from Latin vīsiō (“vision, seeing”), noun of action from the perfect passive participle visus (“that which is seen”), from the verb videō (“to see”) + action noun suffix -iō.

Sources: Wiktionary “vision” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vision#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/vision