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Meaning & use

visions

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈvɪʒ.ənz/
US/ˈvɪʒ.ənz/

“visions” is a form of “vision”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    Images or scenes that someone seems to see, especially when they are awake but not really there.

    Grammar: The plural of 'vision'; it names more than one such experience and usually follows 'have' or 'see'.

    Patterns

    • have visions
    • see visions
    • visions of something

    After days without sleep, he began to have visions.

    The illness can cause visions that feel completely real.

    She described visions of bright lights and strange faces.

  2. nounplural

    Powerful ideas or mental pictures of what the future could be like.

    Grammar: Used for several hopes or plans together; the singular 'vision' is more common when you mean one clear idea.

    Patterns

    • visions of something
    • share someone's visions
    • visions for the future

    The two leaders had very different visions for the country.

    Their visions of a greener city shaped the whole project.

    Young designers brought fresh visions to the show.

Word forms

singularvision

Common combinations

have visions
Some patients have visions during the fever.
visions of the future
The film offers several visions of the future.
see visions
In the story, the prophet sees visions at night.
visions of grandeur
His plans were dismissed as visions of grandeur.

Synonyms and how they differ

hallucinations
More medical and negative; 'visions' can sound spiritual or positive, while 'hallucinations' suggest a disorder.
dreams
Happen during sleep, whereas visions are experienced while awake.
images
A neutral word for pictures in the mind; 'visions' are stronger and often vivid or meaningful.

Word family

vision noun
A single experience of seeing something that is not there, or a clear idea of the future.
visionary noun
A person with original ideas about how the future should be.
visual adjective
Relating to seeing or sight.

Commonly confused: visions or versions?

visions vs versions

Sounds similar but means different forms of the same thing. 'Visions' are things you see in your mind; 'versions' are varieties, as in 'two versions of the app'.

Practice

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