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Meaning & use

thousand-foot view

phrase·Advancedfigurative

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UK/ˌθaʊzənd fʊt ˈvjuː/
US/ˌθaʊzənd fʊt ˈvjuː/

Meaning

  1. phrasesingularfigurative

    A broad, general way of looking at a situation, ignoring small details to see the whole picture.

    Grammar: Usually used with 'a' or 'the': 'a thousand-foot view'. It is often followed by 'of': 'a thousand-foot view of the problem'.

    Patterns

    • a thousand-foot view of something
    • take a thousand-foot view
    • from a thousand-foot view

    Before we dive into details, let's take a thousand-foot view of the project.

    The report gives a thousand-foot view of the company's financial health.

    From a thousand-foot view, the two strategies look very similar.

Common combinations

take a thousand-foot view
The manager asked us to take a thousand-foot view before making any decisions.
a thousand-foot view of the situation
A thousand-foot view of the situation helped us see the main risks.
from a thousand-foot view
From a thousand-foot view, the problem seems minor.
give a thousand-foot view
The presentation gave a thousand-foot view of the entire industry.

Synonyms and how they differ

bird's-eye view
Bird's-eye view also means a broad perspective, but it often suggests a literal view from above; thousand-foot view is more figurative and business-oriented.
helicopter view
Helicopter view is very similar and common in British business English; thousand-foot view is more American.
big picture
Big picture is more informal and focuses on the overall situation rather than the height metaphor.

Opposites

detailed viewclose-up view

Word family

thousand number
The number 1,000.
foot noun
A unit of length equal to 12 inches.
view noun
An opinion or way of thinking about something.

Commonly confused: thousand-foot view or bird's-eye view?

thousand-foot view vs bird's-eye view

Bird's-eye view can be literal (from a high place) or figurative, while thousand-foot view is almost always figurative and used in business contexts.

Practice

In a business meeting, what does it mean to take a 'thousand-foot view'?

Make it your own

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