envision

verb

en·​vi·​sion in-ˈvi-zhən How to pronounce envision (audio)
en-
envisioned; envisioning; envisions

transitive verb

: to picture to oneself
envisions a career dedicated to promoting peace
Choose the Right Synonym for envision

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

Example Sentences

The inventor envisioned many uses for his creation. She envisioned a better life for herself.
Recent Examples on the Web Rodgers envisions the cocktail bar as darker and moodier than Goodwin’s. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 18 May 2023 From India to Turkey, Seabury traveled the world in search of not only design inspiration — but to learn about responsibile practices and scout out farms and artisans who could bring the brand the company envisioned to life. Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2023 With Wembanyama, the Pistons can envision a drastic improvement. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023 Outside of slicing and dicing, this can easily be envisioned as the perfect charcuterie board for movie night. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 15 May 2023 What Dresser envisioned, and McLagan made a reality, was that the steel and metal alloy rods from which the tines are made would combine elements of two very different instruments. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2023 The other side of the coin is also realistically envisioned. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 May 2023 When Melody Walker and her friend Caitlin Doyle first envisioned the Grateful Dead tribute band Bertha, Tennessee’s legislature hadn’t yet introduced legislation limiting drag performance. Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2023 The ensemble was paired with a pair of white Valentino Eyewear shades envisioned alongside the Akino Group. Tracey Harrington Mccoy, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'envision.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of envision was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near envision

Cite this Entry

“Envision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envision. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

envision

verb
en·​vi·​sion in-ˈvizh-ən How to pronounce envision (audio)
: to picture to oneself
envisions herself as a doctor
could not envision the building from the description

More from Merriam-Webster on envision

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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