perspective

1 of 3

noun (1)

per·​spec·​tive pər-ˈspek-tiv 

1

a

: a mental view or prospect

to gain a broader perspective on the international scene

—Current Biography

b

: a visible scene

especially : one giving a distinctive impression of distance : vista

2

a

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

places the issues in proper perspective

also : point of view

b

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

trying to maintain my perspective

3

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

4

a

: 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

b

: a picture in perspective

perspectival

pər-ˈspek-ti-vəl 

ˌpər-(ˌ)spek-ˈtī-vəl

adjective

perspective

2 of 3

adjective

1

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

perspective drawing

2

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.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• angle
• eye view
• outlook
• shoes
• slant
• standpoint
• vantage point
• viewpoint

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Slater has been dealing firsthand with the hazards of his kids’ current enthusiasm for all things LEGO, but he’s managed to keep a healthy perspective about it all. —Christian Dashiell, Parents, 26 Apr. 2024

To put this in perspective, from 2014 to 2019, when electricity rate increases were much more gradual, the residential solar business in California had grown at a 14% annual average. —Severin Borenstein, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing perspective

• aerial perspective
• forced perspective
• linear perspective

Kids Definition

perspective

1 of 2 noun

per·​spec·​tive pər-ˈspek-tiv 

1

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

2

a

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

places the issues in perspective

b

: point of view

from a conservative perspective

3

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

try to keep your perspective and not get flustered

4

: 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