1
: a distant view through or along an avenue or opening : prospect
2
: an extensive mental view (as over a stretch of time or a series of events)
Volunteers in Service to America
Did you know?
Vista is generally used today for broad sweeping views of the kind you might see from a mountaintop. But the word originally meant an avenue-like view, narrowed by a line of trees on either side. And vista has also long been used (like view and outlook) to mean a mental scan of the future—as if you were riding down a long grand avenue and what you could see a mile or so ahead of you was where you'd be in the very near future.
Cite this Entry
“Vista.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vista. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
