perspective

1 of 3

noun (1)

per·​spec·​tive pər-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce perspective (audio)
1
a
: a mental view or prospect
to gain a broader perspective on the international sceneCurrent Biography
b
: a visible scene
especially : one giving a distinctive impression of distance : vista
2
a
: the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed
places the issues in proper perspective
also : point of view
b
: the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance
trying to maintain my perspective
3
: the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions
4
a
: the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye
specifically : representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance
b
: a picture in perspective
perspectival
pər-ˈspek-ti-vəl How to pronounce perspective (audio)
ˌpər-(ˌ)spek-ˈtī-vəl
adjective

perspective

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, employing, or seen in perspective
perspective drawing
2
obsolete : aiding the vision
his eyes should be like unto the wrong end of a perspective glassAlexander Pope
perspectively adverb

perspective

3 of 3

noun (2)

archaic
: an optical glass (such as a telescope)

Did you know?

To the modern mind, it's hard to believe that perspective had to be "discovered", but before the 1400s paintings simply lacked accurate perspective. Instead, important people and objects were simply shown larger than less important ones; and although distant objects were sometimes shown smaller than near ones, this wasn't done in a regular and accurate way. Just as odd, many paintings didn't represent the other meaning of perspective either—that is, a scene might not be shown as if it were being seen from one single place. Today, perspective is used much like standpoint. Just as standpoint once used to mean simply the physical place where you stand but today also means the way you "see" things as a result of who you are and what you do, the same could be said about perspective.

Examples of perspective in a Sentence

Noun (1) The elegant economy of the drawing and the wild inventiveness of such pictorial devices as the towering pitcher's mound and the impossible perspective of Snoopy's doghouse keep the repetitiveness, talkiness, and melancholy of the strip a few buoyant inches off the ground, and save it from being fey. John Updike, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2007
Courses offer an international perspective, so even a lesson on the American Revolution will interweave sources from Britain and France with views from the Founding Fathers. Claudia Wallis et al., Time, 18 Dec. 2006
Tipper and I still marvel at everything we saw and the perspective it offered. At a moment when the country was still in the throes of the conflict over Vietnam, it was refreshing to see the best of America. Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, 2006
whether she was being rude or candid is all a matter of perspective the perspective from the hotel balcony was dominated by the lake and mountains
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Mars At Opposition Mars retrograde aligns with opposition — when Mars is directly opposite the sun from Earth’s perspective. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 Once the pair become friends, both of their perspectives share the film, to mighty effect. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The perspective article was published in the journal Human Genomics. New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024 Sometimes a perspective shift can better prepare you to take a leap. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for perspective 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French, probably modification of Old Italian prospettiva, from prospetto view, prospect, from Latin prospectus — more at prospect

Adjective

Middle English, optical, from Medieval Latin perspectivus

Noun (2)

Middle English perspectyf, from Medieval Latin perspectivum, from neuter of perspectivus of sight, optical, from Latin perspectus, past participle of perspicere to look through, see clearly, from per- through + specere to look — more at per-, spy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perspective was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near perspective

Cite this Entry

“Perspective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspective. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

perspective

1 of 2 noun
per·​spec·​tive pər-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce perspective (audio)
1
: the art or technique of painting or drawing a scene so that objects in it seem to have depth and distance
2
a
: the relationship in which a subject or its parts are viewed mentally
places the issues in perspective
b
: point of view
from a conservative perspective
3
: the power to understand things in their true relationship to each other
try to keep your perspective and not get flustered
4
: the appearance to the eye of objects in space with respect to their distance and positions in relation to each other

perspective

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or seen in perspective

More from Merriam-Webster on perspective

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!