farsighted

adjective

far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˌsī-təd How to pronounce farsighted (audio)
1
a
: seeing or able to see to a great distance
Intuition is sometimes symbolized as an eagle, a farsighted bird which can see a very long distance from a very great height.Frances E. Vaughan
b
: having or showing foresight or good judgment : sagacious
a farsighted leader
a farsighted plan/policy/decision
Farsighted planners hope to use the memory of the flood to open up the river …Nicholas Helburn
2
: able to see distant things better than near ones : affected with farsightedness
farsighted eyes/vision
… offers free screenings and private consultations … for nearsighted and farsighted people who want to find out if they are good candidates for Laser Vision Correction.Sue Petty
farsightedly adverb
… assuring that our pension obligations are fully funded in a long-term effort that was farsightedly proposed … some years ago … Stephen Hudspeth

Examples of farsighted in a Sentence

plans made by farsighted city leaders farsighted conservationists long ago realized that wilderness areas of breathtaking beauty needed to be protected from future development
Recent Examples on the Web According to the appealing tale, a farsighted band of Americans, with some input from poorer but learned Britons, recognized the failures of the international economic system after World War I, in particular the Great Depression. Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022 Eto’s lofty position in the Chicago underworld was unusual for an outsider, but the syndicate had always been more farsighted than other crime families in promoting gangsters of other ethnicities. Peter Rubin, Longreads, 12 May 2023 From the Evening Tribune, Saturday, March 10, 1973: DREAM COME TRUE Space Theater dedicated amid starry display The long dream of a small group of farsighted San Diegans became a reality today with the dedication of the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center. Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023 As the United States begins the Herculean task of digging itself out from the worst economic downturn in generations, policy makers need to focus on rebuilding in smart and farsighted ways, and that means cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending whenever possible. Elliott Negin, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2020 Just look at Warren Buffett’s farsighted investment in Israel–a country that has become a tech superpower despite facing existential risk–during the Lebanon War of 2006. Eric Braverman, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2023 Modern architecture was introduced to Portland almost a century ago by Pietro Belluschi, John Yeon and other farsighted architects influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. oregonlive, 29 Sep. 2022 Rose Marcario doesn’t work in the outdoor industry anymore, but her influence hasn’t waned—a testament to her vision and farsighted leadership. Andrew Weaver, Outside Online, 1 Feb. 2022 In a situation like that, your real eyes are focusing just fine — the issue is, your view of the world is naturally a little farsighted. Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 20 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'farsighted.' 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

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of farsighted was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near farsighted

Cite this Entry

“Farsighted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farsighted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

farsighted

adjective
far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˈsīt-əd How to pronounce farsighted (audio)
1
: having foresight
2
: able to see distant things more clearly than near ones
farsightedly adverb

Medical Definition

farsighted

adjective
far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˈsīt-əd How to pronounce farsighted (audio)
1
: seeing or able to see to a great distance
2
: affected with hyperopia
farsightedly adverb

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