perspective
Americannoun
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a technique of depicting volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface.
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a picture employing this technique, especially one in which it is prominent.
an architect's perspective of a house.
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a visible scene, especially one extending to a distance; vista.
a perspective on the main axis of an estate.
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the state of existing in space before the eye.
The elevations look all right, but the building's composition is a failure in perspective.
-
the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship.
You have to live here a few years to see local conditions in perspective.
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the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship.
Your data is admirably detailed but it lacks perspective.
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a mental view or prospect.
the dismal perspective of terminally ill patients.
adjective
noun
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a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance
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the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it; objectivity
try to get some perspective on your troubles
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the theory or art of suggesting three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface, in order to recreate the appearance and spatial relationships that objects or a scene in recession present to the eye
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the appearance of objects, buildings, etc, relative to each other, as determined by their distance from the viewer, or the effects of this distance on their appearance
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a view over some distance in space or time; vista; prospect
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a picture showing perspective
Other Word Forms
- nonperspective noun
- perspectival adjective
- perspectived adjective
- perspectiveless adjective
- perspectively adverb
Etymology
Origin of perspective
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin perspectīva (ars) “optical (science),” perspectīvum “optical glass,” noun uses of feminine and neuter of perspectīvus “optical,” equivalent to Latin perspect(us) “looked at closely,” past participle of perspicere “to look at closely” ( per-, inspect ) + -īvus -ive
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.
This season of “The Traitors” has been, from a food perspective, deeply strange.
From Salon
For more perspective on the valuations, the S&P 500 trades at a forward P/E of 21.6, while its financial sector trades at a forward P/E of 15.3.
From MarketWatch
“From this perspective, Iran would not be acting entirely alone,” Tale said.
From Los Angeles Times
This bias not only hurts women who are economists; it can also hamper policymaking by limiting the range of perspectives that inform economic decisions.
From Salon
Chait has extensive experience presenting to the Board of Education and unfailingly upholds the administration’s perspective.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
