myopia

noun

my·​o·​pia mī-ˈō-pē-ə 

1

: a condition in which the visual images come to a focus (see focus entry 1 sense 4) in front of the retina of the eye resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects : nearsightedness

She wears glasses to correct her myopia.

2

: a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something

… those require long-term commitments, which in our current myopia we cannot take on.

—Adam Smith

Examples of myopia in a Sentence

She wears eyeglasses to correct her myopia.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hopefully that's just my myopia and there's a lot happening behind the scenes. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 6 May 2025

His myopia was at least as deleterious to the liberation of the unconscious mind as his charisma were beneficial. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Genetics and environmental factors can put a child at risk for myopia. —Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2025

Up until now, the standard treatment for myopia was to prescribe corrective lenses. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek myōpia, from myōp-, myōps

First Known Use

circa 1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for myopia

• amblyopia
• cornucopia
• hyperopia
• atropia
• cecropia
• diplopia
• dystopia
• utopia
• hypermetropia

Kids Definition

myopia

noun

my·​o·​pia mī-ˈō-pē-ə 

1

: the condition of being nearsighted

2

: a lack of foresight : a narrow view of something

myopic

-ˈō-pik  -ˈäp-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

myopia

noun

my·​o·​pia mī-ˈō-pē-ə 

: a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye because of defects in the refractive media of the eye or of abnormal length of the eyeball resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects

called also nearsightedness

compare astigmatism sense 2, emmetropia