vista

1 of 2

noun

vis·​ta ˈvi-stə 

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)

VISTA

2 of 2

abbreviation

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.

Synonyms of vista

Noun

• view
• panorama

Examples of vista in a Sentence

Noun

a gorgeous vista of the mountains from the front window

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, this rugged coastline has nurtured an impressive surf culture and offers stunning vistas. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

For example, dancing at the museum on Friday evening (when entry is free), or hiking in a nearby park and photographing the vista. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025

By eschewing dull photorealism for highly detailed and otherworldly vistas that are even more saturated than their movie counterparts, Massive's work on Frontiers of Pandora is transportive on a level that few (if any) big-budget video game productions have been able to capture. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025

There were formal dinners and historic tours, a distillery per day pouring drams by the handful, and endless stretches of spectacular vistas. —Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, sight, from visto, past participle of vedere to see, from Latin vidēre — more at wit

First Known Use

Noun

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for vista

• crista
• arista
• artiste
• batiste
• sandinista

Kids Definition

vista

noun

vis·​ta ˈvis-tə 

1

: a distant view through an opening or along an avenue : prospect

2

: a mental view over a long period of time

Geographical Definition

Vista

geographical name

Vis·​ta ˈvi-stə 

city in southwestern California north of San Diego population 93,834