visionary

1 of 2

adjective

vi·​sion·​ary ˈvi-zhə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce visionary (audio)
Synonyms of visionarynext
1
: having or marked by foresight and imagination
a visionary leader
a visionary invention
2
a
: of the nature of a vision : illusory
b
: incapable of being realized or achieved : utopian
a visionary scheme
c
: existing only in imagination : unreal
3
a
: able or likely to see visions
b
: disposed to reverie or imagining : dreamy
4
: of, relating to, or characterized by visions or the power of vision
visionariness
ˈvi-zhə-ˌner-ē-nəs How to pronounce visionary (audio)
noun

visionary

2 of 2

noun

plural visionaries
1
: one having unusual foresight and imagination
a visionary in the computer industry
2
: one whose ideas or projects are impractical : dreamer
3
: one who sees visions : seer

Did you know?

How Should You Use visionary?

A visionary is someone with a strong vision of the future. Since such visions aren't always accurate, a visionary's ideas may either work brilliantly or fail miserably. Even so, visionary is usually a positive word. Martin Luther King, Jr., for instance, was a visionary in his hopes and ideas for a just society. The word is also an adjective; thus, for example, we may speak of a visionary project, a visionary leader, a visionary painter, or a visionary company.

Synonyms

Adjective

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for visionary

imaginary, fanciful, visionary, fantastic, chimerical, quixotic mean unreal or unbelievable.

imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Examples of visionary in a Sentence

Adjective She is known as a visionary leader. He had a visionary experience. Noun She's a visionary in her field. according to Greek myth, Cassandra was a visionary who was endowed with the gift of inerrant prophecy but fated to never be believed
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.
Adjective
There's a deep irony in this: Our most visionary efforts can get tangled in a web of unintended consequences, reminding us that progress often carries risks. —Saurav Bhattacharya, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 Big thanks to Andrea Arnold for letting us in so close to her visionary universe. —Thomas Smith, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
But Belden is looking to make the event an unmissable annual space where visionaries can come together to discuss innovation, future projects, and the direction of the industry. —Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Alyssa Farah Griffin — former Donald Trump White House staffer, The View cohost, and alternative sperm-as-face cream visionary — has a strong piece of advice for President Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 election: Keep quiet until Americans head to the polls. —EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for visionary 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of visionary was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near visionary

vision

visionary

visioned

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Visionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visionary. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

visionary

1 of 2 adjective
vi·​sion·​ary ˈvizh-ə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce visionary (audio)
1
: resembling a vision especially in being impractical
visionary plans for underwater cities
2
: likely to dream or imagine

visionary

2 of 2 noun
plural visionaries
1
: a person whose ideas or plans are impractical : dreamer
2
: a person who sees visions : seer
3
: one having unusual foresight and imagination
a visionary in the field of computer animation

More from Merriam-Webster on visionary

Nglish: Translation of visionary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of visionary for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...