Definition of ENVISAGING

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 geographical extent of the plan, which envisages 47 new sales of drilling leases, surprised observers, though few think energy companies will operate in much of the area. — The Economist, "Business this week," 11 Jan. 2018 The Stingray was originally conceived to carry weapons as well as provide refuelling capabilities, with later plans also envisaging its use for reconnaissance. — Doug Cameron, WSJ, "Boeing Wins Big Navy Contract for Drones," 30 Aug. 2018 Forster signed a lucrative new contract last year, but Southampton did not envisage that he would be dropped for McCarthy after a string of poor performances. — SI.com, "Alex McCarthy Signs New Contract Extension Keeping Him at Southampton Until 2022," 27 June 2018 The Great Show was envisaged as a love letter to a nation that has become one of its most significant markets, reportedly representing 30 percent of group revenues. — Vogue, "Dolce & Gabbana Cancels Its Shanghai Great Show Amid Controversy," 21 Nov. 2018 The Carmichael mine in an arid part of Queensland state will be much smaller than originally envisaged. — Rhiannon Hoyle, WSJ, "Battered Indian Energy Giant Digs In With Scaled-Back Australian Mine," 29 Nov. 2018 The Swiss National Bank described the result as a relief; the Vollgeld plan envisaged the public holding current accounts directly with the central bank. — The Economist, "Business this week," 14 June 2018 Some advocacy groups say governments and militaries should be prevented from developing such systems, which have sparked fears and led some critics to envisage harrowing scenarios about their use. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "'Killer robots' are coming and the world is trying to figure out what to do with them," 27 Aug. 2018 Cabaye arrived with many envisaging the player who caught the eye of PSG with his stunning dead-ball ability and his eye for a long shot whilst on Tyneside, which was naive on their part. — SI.com, "Yohan Cabaye's Time at Crystal Palace Was Underappreciated, But His Arrival Was a Landmark Moment," 5 July 2018

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.