Meaning & use
aspect
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Meanings
nouncountable
One part, feature or side of a situation, problem or idea that you can consider on its own.
Grammar: Often followed by of: an aspect of the job.
Patterns
- an aspect of something
- every aspect of something
- in every aspect
Cost is only one aspect of the decision.
She enjoyed every aspect of the trip.
The teacher looked at the aspects of climate change in turn.
nouncountabletechnical
The direction in which a building, window or slope faces.
Grammar: Usually with an adjective showing direction: a southern aspect.
Patterns
- a southern aspect
- have a view/aspect
The house has a sunny southern aspect.
Plants on the north aspect of the hill get less light.
Buyers like a flat with a west-facing aspect.
nouncountableliterary
The look or expression of a person or thing; the way someone seems.
Grammar: Literary; usually singular: a gentle aspect.
Patterns
- wear an aspect of something
The old judge had a stern aspect.
The mountain took on a gloomy aspect in the fog.
His face wore an aspect of calm.
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
In grammar, a verb form or category that shows whether an action is ongoing, finished or repeated.
Grammar: Technical term used in linguistics: progressive aspect.
Patterns
- progressive aspect
- perfect aspect
English uses the progressive aspect to show an action in progress.
Learners often confuse tense with aspect.
The perfect aspect links a past action to the present.
Word forms
| plural | aspects |
|---|
Common combinations
- an important aspect
- Safety is an important aspect of any building project.
- every aspect of
- The manager reviewed every aspect of the plan.
- a positive aspect
- One positive aspect of working remotely is saving travel time.
- the legal aspect
- We still need to check the legal aspects of the contract.
- a different aspect
- The interview revealed a different aspect of her character.
Synonyms and how they differ
- feature
- Feature is usually a visible or notable part of a thing, while aspect can be an idea or way of seeing it.
- facet
- Facet suggests one side of something with many sides, such as a personality, and sounds a little more literary.
- dimension
- Dimension suggests an extra level or layer of a subject, not just a part.
- angle
- Angle is a point of view toward an issue, whereas aspect is the part being considered.
Word family
- aspectual adjective
- relating to grammatical aspect
- inspect verb
- related in origin; to look at closely
- spectator noun
- related in origin; a person who watches
- perspective noun
- related in origin; a way of viewing something
Commonly confused: aspect or aspect?
aspect vs aspect
Aspect is sometimes confused with respect in phrases like in some respects; aspect is a part or side, while respect is a detail or a feeling of admiration.
Practice
Teamwork is an important ___ of the job.
Choose one answer.
Aspect means a part or feature of something, and it takes of the job. Respect, suspect and prospect do not fit the phrase an important ___ of the job.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aspect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.