Meaning & use
vision
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The ability to see with the eyes.
Grammar: Not counted: good vision, blurred vision.
Patterns
- blurred vision
- vision in one eye
Her vision got worse as she grew older.
Fog reduced the driver's vision to a few meters.
He had an eye test to check his vision.
nouncountable or uncountable
A clear picture in the mind of how something could be in the future, together with a sense of purpose.
Grammar: Often followed by for or of: a vision for the town.
Patterns
- a vision for something
- a vision of something
The new director has a bold vision for the museum.
Without a shared vision, the team kept drifting.
Their vision of a car-free city inspired many voters.
nouncountable
Something seen in the imagination, in a dream, or in a religious experience, often with a special meaning.
Grammar: Takes a: she had a vision of her late father.
Patterns
- have a vision of something
- see a vision
The prophet described a vision of a river of light.
A vision of home came to her as she fell asleep.
He claimed to have had a vision during the storm.
nounsingularliterary
A person or sight that is strikingly beautiful.
Grammar: Usually appears as a vision in something: a vision in white.
Patterns
- a vision in something
The bride was a vision in white.
The garden in spring was a vision of color.
Word forms
| plural | visions |
|---|
Common combinations
- 20/20 vision
- After the surgery, she had 20/20 vision.
- blurred vision
- Blurred vision can be a sign of tiredness.
- share a vision
- The founders share a vision of cleaner energy.
- clear vision
- A clear vision helps a company decide what to build.
- tunnel vision
- He had tunnel vision and ignored other solutions.
- vision statement
- The vision statement hangs in the lobby.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eyesight
- Eyesight refers only to the physical ability to see, while vision can also mean imagination or a goal.
- foresight
- Foresight is about predicting and planning for what will happen, whereas vision is the picture of what you want to build.
- dream
- A dream may be a wish with no plan, while a vision usually implies a leader's clear, workable idea.
- apparition
- An apparition is a ghostly figure seen by someone, closer to the supernatural sense of vision.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: vision or version?
vision vs version
A version is one form of something, such as a new edition, and has no link to sight or foresight despite the similar spelling.
Practice
The mayor's ___ for the city includes more parks and cleaner air.
Choose one answer.
A vision for something means a clear picture of its future. View can mean opinion, but a view for the city is not the usual pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vision”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.