see

verb

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\ ˈsē

saw\ ˈsȯ

\; seen\ ˈsēn

\; seeing\ ˈsē-iŋ

Definition of see

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to perceive by the eye

b : to perceive or detect as if by sight

2a : to be aware of : recognize sees only our faults

b : to imagine as a possibility : suppose couldn't see him as a crook

c : to form a mental picture of : visualize can still see her as she was years ago

d : to perceive the meaning or importance of : understand

3a : to come to know : discover

b : to be the setting or time of The last fifty years have seen a sweeping revolution in science …— Barry Commoner

c : to have experience of : undergo see army service

4a : examine, watch want to see how she handles the problem

b(1) : read

(2) : to read of

c : to attend as a spectator see a play

5a : to make sure See that order is kept.

b : to take care of : provide for had enough money to see us through

6a : to find acceptable or attractive can't understand what he sees in her

b : to regard as : judge

c : to prefer to have I'll see him hanged first. I'll see you dead before I accept your terms.

7a : to call on : visit

b(1) : to keep company with especially in courtship or dating had been seeing each other for a year

(2) : to grant an interview to : receive The president will see you now.

8 : accompany, escort See the guests to the door.

9 : to meet (a bet) in poker or to equal the bet of (a player) : call

intransitive verb

1a : to apprehend objects by sight

b : to have the power of sight

c : to perceive objects as if by sight

2a : to look about

b : to give or pay attention

3a : to grasp something mentally

b : to acknowledge or consider something being pointed out See, I told you it would rain.

4 : to make investigation or inquiry

see after

: to attend to : care for

see eye to eye

: to have a common viewpoint : agree

see red

: to become very angry

see the light

: to discover or realize a usually obscured truth

see the light of day

: to become publicly known or available (as through publication) manuscripts that will never see the light of day

see things

: hallucinate

see through

: to grasp the true nature of saw through the scheme

see to

: to attend to : care for

see

noun

Definition of see (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : a seat of a bishop's office, power, or authority

b : a cathedral town

c archaic : cathedra

2 : the authority or jurisdiction of a bishop

See

biographical name

\ ˈsē

Definition of See (Entry 3 of 3)

Thomas Jefferson Jackson 1866–1962 American astronomer and mathematician

Other Words from see Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about see

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Examples of see in a Sentence

Verb It was so dark that I couldn't see anything. I can't see a thing without my glasses. Would you turn on the light? I can hardly see a thing. Let me see what you're holding in your hand. I saw your sister at the party, but I didn't talk to her. I saw her take the money. Nobody saw the accident happen. He was last seen leaving his house yesterday morning. You have to see it to believe it. “He says he's coming.” “I'll believe it when I see it.”

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Senators want to see more direct aid included in the measure. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, "Monthly stimulus checks? 21 Senators push for recurring stimulus payments," 31 Mar. 2021 Another threat came this week from several New York-area House Democrats who want to see Biden lift the cap on the deduction for state-and-local taxes, known as SALT, imposed by a law then-President Donald Trump signed into law in 2017. — Ben Gittleson, ABC News, "Biden's next big push: Massive infrastructure plan, proposed tax hikes to pay for it," 31 Mar. 2021 Those who want to see U.S. emissions drop still have a lot to fight for. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "Biden Is Too Worried About the Deficit, Not Worried Enough About Climate Change," 31 Mar. 2021 People are just so excited to see each other again. — Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "After being canceled last summer, Menomonee Falls Memorial Fest and Sussex Lions Daze have a full lineup of activities this summer," 31 Mar. 2021 The Gamaleya and AstraZeneca teams want to see how well their vaccines work together. — New York Times, "Getting One Vaccine Is Good. How About Mix-and-Match?," 30 Mar. 2021 So the Celtics will wait to see how their new shooting guard fits with the rest of the lineup. — Roy Parry, orlandosentinel.com, "Celtics guard Evan Fournier enters health and safety protocols, delaying debut with new team," 28 Mar. 2021 Most residents can’t wait to see the Ever Given disappear. — Washington Post, "How did a ship get stuck in the Suez Canal?," 28 Mar. 2021 And our little fizzy bracket can't wait to see you next year. — Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, "Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2021 winner is ...," 28 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Playing when Ginny see's Marcus is back from the hospital. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "The "Ginny & Georgia" Soundtrack Is Everything You Needed In Life and More," 26 Feb. 2021 Common obstacles include weave poles, jumps, tunnels, see-saws, and A-frames. — Lauren Corona, chicagotribune.com, "Dog agility training for beginners," 22 Feb. 2021 Serhant had invited a couple of brokers from competing firms to have a look-see. — Andrew Rice, Curbed, "The Gut Renovation of Ryan Serhant," 18 Feb. 2021 Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy was gratified the see his team rally from a big second-half hole just one game after seeing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead turn into an 18-point loss against Phoenix on Friday. — Brett Martel, courant.com, "Pelicans rally from 24 down, top Celtics in overtime," 21 Feb. 2021 The confusing see-saw underscores the murky impact of the president's new raft of immigration policies. — Matt Sledge, NOLA.com, "Biden made sweeping changes to immigration enforcement, but change comes slowly in Louisiana," 26 Jan. 2021 Keane didn’t press to the see the injuries and never took photos, according to Dulaney. — Adam Ferrise, cleveland, "Cleveland police officer wrongfully arrested woman, left toddler with man accused of child abuse, investigators say," 13 Jan. 2021 And in a nod to the see and be seen 1950s and 1960s Overtown celebrity, Red Rooster will host musical performances and visual artists to encourage surrounding communities to eat, drink and enjoy together. — Arlene Borenstein-zuluaga, sun-sentinel.com, "First look: Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s long awaited Red Rooster opens in Overtown," 3 Dec. 2020 Pound for pound, the no-see-um, or biting midge, may be the worst of the lot. — The Editors, Outdoor Life, "Three Reasons to Bring a Screen Canopy Camping," 4 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'see.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.