linear perspective
noun
: a system of creating an illusion of depth and distance in drawing, painting, relief sculpture, etc., by depicting parallel lines as converging
Consider the way in which modernist painting calls attention to the flatness of the two-dimensional canvas rather than employing the rules of linear perspective in order to generate an illusion of depth.—
Roger Copeland
Roger CopelandExamples of linear perspective in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Business leaders, in particular, who cling to linear perspectives risk stifling innovation and missing emerging opportunities.
—Yasmine McDougall Sterea, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The receding linear perspective of the High Renaissance is gone.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
This reciprocal gaze reinforces our sense of being shown an all-encompassing space, while the steadfastly linear perspective implies a kind of stable omniscience.
—Sarah C. Schaefer, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Inspired by Les Nabis, a group of late 19th-century French artists, including Édouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, whose paintings emphasize color and pattern over linear perspective, Titus’s work evokes an infinite, if at times subtle, sense of activity.
—New York Times, 28 Jan. 2021
Avery composed with large areas of flat color, creating depth with color contrasts and harmonies instead of shifts in scale and linear perspective.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
People tend to have a linear perspective of history, but the exponential growth of tech has become more obvious in the past decades.
—Ricardo Villadiego, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021
Filippo Brunelleschi, considered the founding father of Renaissance architecture, used mirrors and geometry to generate 3D drawings with perfect linear perspective.
—Dr. Will Roper, Popular Mechanics, 12 Jan. 2021
This period is marked by castles, cathedrals, and linear perspective in painting.
—courant.com, 4 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Yasmine McDougall Sterea, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The receding linear perspective of the High Renaissance is gone.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
This reciprocal gaze reinforces our sense of being shown an all-encompassing space, while the steadfastly linear perspective implies a kind of stable omniscience.
—Sarah C. Schaefer, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Inspired by Les Nabis, a group of late 19th-century French artists, including Édouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, whose paintings emphasize color and pattern over linear perspective, Titus’s work evokes an infinite, if at times subtle, sense of activity.
—New York Times, 28 Jan. 2021
Avery composed with large areas of flat color, creating depth with color contrasts and harmonies instead of shifts in scale and linear perspective.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
People tend to have a linear perspective of history, but the exponential growth of tech has become more obvious in the past decades.
—Ricardo Villadiego, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021
Filippo Brunelleschi, considered the founding father of Renaissance architecture, used mirrors and geometry to generate 3D drawings with perfect linear perspective.
—Dr. Will Roper, Popular Mechanics, 12 Jan. 2021
This period is marked by castles, cathedrals, and linear perspective in painting.
—courant.com, 4 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Linear perspective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear%20perspective. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share