Definition of ENVISAGE

Choose the Right Synonym for envisage

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of. think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection. I just thought of a good joke conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design. conceived of a new marketing approach imagine stresses a visualization. imagine you're at the beach fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires. fancied himself a super athlete realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined. realized the enormity of the task ahead envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed. envisaged a totally computerized operation envisioned a cure for the disease

Did You Know?

Envisage has been part of the English language since the 17th century. In the early 19th century, it was sometimes used with the now archaic sense of "to meet squarely" or "to confront." By 1837, the word had developed the sense "to have a mental picture of." In the 1920s, some usage commentators began deriding envisage for reasons not entirely clear, declaring it "undesirable." Today, time and usage have won out, and envisage is widely used and accepted, though it is slightly formal in tone. The same can be said of its near twin envision ("to picture to oneself"), which has been with us since the late 19th century and is interchangeable with envisage in many contexts.

Examples of envisage in a Sentence

I envisage a day when proper health care will be available to everyone. I'm trying to envisage you on a surfboard.

Recent Examples on the Web

The goal of the workshop was to envisage structures — woven from bamboo, a sustainable and local resource — to provide shade for the park, or structures that would filter sunlight through roadway apertures and onto the dark streetscape below. — New York Times, "‘The logic of the weave’," 29 July 2019 Guests including Alicia Keys, Verbal and Yoon of Ambush, Exile Hiro, and Williams’s wife, Helen Lasichanh, stepped onto a bumblebee-yellow carpet before entering the world envisaged by Williams and his coterie of creators. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Pharrell and American Express Lead the Charge to Protect the Arts at the Inaugural Yellow Ball," 11 Sep. 2018 The small eurozone investment fund envisaged by Mr. Macron and Ms. Merkel would be largely symbolic. — Marcus Walker, WSJ, "As Euro Crisis Ends, Italy Stokes Fear of a Revival," 19 Aug. 2018 Some even envisage building giant optical telescopes, larger than any on Earth, that could not just find Earth-like exoplanets, but see features on their surfaces. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Could humanity’s return to the moon spark a new age of lunar telescopes?," 18 July 2019 Its broad shape can be easily envisaged: Boris would give Brexit party candidates a free run in a number of seats now held by Labour and the Liberal Democrats — especially those Labour seats that voted heavily Leave in the referendum. — John O'sullivan, National Review, "Can Anyone Beat Boris?," 9 July 2019 The original 2006 plan was later modified, and envisages posthumously donating all of the Berkshire stock within a decade after his estate is settled. — latimes.com, "Warren Buffett to give away $3.6 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 4 other charities," 1 July 2019 Expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline envisages nearly tripling capacity on the existing 710-mile corridor to 890,000 barrels a day. — Paul Vieira, WSJ, "Canada to Proceed With Trans Mountain Pipeline Project," 18 June 2019 Proposals could include seeking closer ties with the bloc than May’s deal envisages, or putting the Brexit deal to a public vote. — Jill Lawless, The Seattle Times, "What Next? UK lawmakers torn on fate of Brexit, and May," 26 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'envisage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.