perspective

1 of 3

noun (1)

per·spec·tive pər-ˈspek-tiv

Synonyms of perspective next

: a mental view or prospect

to gain a broader perspective on the international scene—

Current Biography

: a visible scene

especially : one giving a distinctive impression of distance : vista

: the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed

places the issues in proper perspective

also : point of view

: the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance

trying to maintain my perspective

: the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions

: the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye

specifically : representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance

: a picture in perspective

perspectival

pər-ˈspek-ti-vəl

ˌpər-(ˌ)spek-ˈtī-vəl

adjective

perspective

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, employing, or seen in perspective

perspective drawing

obsolete : aiding the vision

his eyes should be like unto the wrong end of a perspective glass—

Alexander Pope

perspectively adverb

perspective

3 of 3

noun (2)

archaic

: an optical glass (such as a telescope)

Did you know?

To the modern mind, it's hard to believe that perspective had to be "discovered", but before the 1400s paintings simply lacked accurate perspective. Instead, important people and objects were simply shown larger than less important ones; and although distant objects were sometimes shown smaller than near ones, this wasn't done in a regular and accurate way. Just as odd, many paintings didn't represent the other meaning of perspective either—that is, a scene might not be shown as if it were being seen from one single place. Today, perspective is used much like standpoint. Just as standpoint once used to mean simply the physical place where you stand but today also means the way you "see" things as a result of who you are and what you do, the same could be said about perspective.

Examples of perspective in a Sentence

Noun (1) The elegant economy of the drawing and the wild inventiveness of such pictorial devices as the towering pitcher's mound and the impossible perspective of Snoopy's doghouse keep the repetitiveness, talkiness, and melancholy of the strip a few buoyant inches off the ground, and save it from being fey. —

John Updike, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2007

Courses offer an international perspective, so even a lesson on the American Revolution will interweave sources from Britain and France with views from the Founding Fathers. —

Claudia Wallis et al., Time, 18 Dec. 2006

Tipper and I still marvel at everything we saw and the perspective it offered. At a moment when the country was still in the throes of the conflict over Vietnam, it was refreshing to see the best of America. —

Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, 2006

whether she was being rude or candid is all a matter of perspective the perspective from the hotel balcony was dominated by the lake and mountains

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

Consequently, a new perspective has taken hold: a September 2023 poll by Taiwan’s top research institution found that only 34 percent of Taiwanese people consider the United States to be a trustworthy partner, which represents a decline of 11 percentage points since 2021. —

David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. —

Marc Shoffman, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024

Adjective

The perspective article was published in the journal Human Genomics. —

New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024 Sometimes a perspective shift can better prepare you to take a leap. —

Holly Corbett, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for perspective

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French, probably modification of Old Italian prospettiva, from prospetto view, prospect, from Latin prospectus — more at prospect

Adjective

Middle English, optical, from Medieval Latin perspectivus

Noun (2)

Middle English perspectyf, from Medieval Latin perspectivum, from neuter of perspectivus of sight, optical, from Latin perspectus, past participle of perspicere to look through, see clearly, from per- through + specere to look — more at per-, spy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of perspective was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Articles Related to perspective

Point of View: It's Personal

First, second, and third person explained

binoculars in observatory looking out on city

'Speculate': Looking for a Profit

From seeing with your own eyes to imagining a successful investment

The History Behind 8 Halloween Words

These words haunt us

Cite this Entry

Style

“Perspective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspective. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

perspective

1 of 2 noun

per·spec·tive pər-ˈspek-tiv

: the art or technique of painting or drawing a scene so that objects in it seem to have depth and distance

: the relationship in which a subject or its parts are viewed mentally

places the issues in perspective

: point of view

from a conservative perspective

: the power to understand things in their true relationship to each other

try to keep your perspective and not get flustered

: the appearance to the eye of objects in space with respect to their distance and positions in relation to each other

perspective

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or seen in perspective

Last Updated: 15 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

paroxysm

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

perspective

noun (1)

adjective

noun (2)

Did you know?

Synonyms

Examples of perspective in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near perspective

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition