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 At Mexico’s El Castillo, among the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, even more assemble on the same date to see the sun make shadows that look like a snake slithering down the pyramid steps. — Jill Gleeson, Country Living, "What Exactly Is the Spring Equinox?," 19 Mar. 2019 Which means Congress may soon have a chance to see the final report — or at least, a summary of its findings — and learn once and for all what really happened and how deeply the president himself and others around him may have been involved. — Alex Ward, Vox, "These are the Trump associates who’ve pleaded guilty in the Mueller probe," 20 Feb. 2019 Legend has it that local fisherman liked to see the bright colors on their way into town, and the residents also use the bright paint to delineate where one property begins and ends. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The 25 most colorful cities in the world," 19 Feb. 2019 Whereas Charles has been to all of them but Cuba—not surprising, given that he's been to 45 out of the 53 nations in the Commonwealth—Camilla will see many of these places for the first time. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Prince Charles and Camilla Plan a Royal Tour of the Caribbean, Including a Historic Visit to Cuba," 15 Feb. 2019 And seeing you with our children, Ella and Alexander, is the greatest joy in my life. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Amal Clooney Accepts UN Global Citizens Award," 6 Dec. 2018 So bundle up, get a cup of hot chocolate, and go see the holiday magic for yourself! — Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, "Saks Fifth Avenue Serves Up Holiday Window Magic," 6 Dec. 2018 Of course, whenever these symptoms start affecting your daily life, go see a doctor. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "7 Period Symptoms That Are Totally Normal," 5 Dec. 2018 The tile floors are custom, made to evoke a pattern Ellis saw in Valencia, Spain. — Samantha Weiss Hills, Curbed, "“Every morning, I wake up and notice something new about it”," 3 Dec. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Ten-part series Love is Blind sees singles disconnecting from the outside world and looking for love without ever setting eyes on their potential partners. — Essence, "Screen Time: 11 Titles You Can Stream In February," 29 Jan. 2020 Below the custom staircase Kirschner and Smith created with beads and wood pieces (yes, really!), the designer created two rooms out of one through clever use of a sheet of plexiglass, which acts as a see-through wall. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Jenny Dina Kirschner Has Designed the Most Intricate Dollhouse You'll Ever See," 28 Jan. 2020 In December, Sabry joined a group of lawyers to sue Egyptian actress Rania Youssef for wearing a see-through gauze dress that revealed her legs at a film festival in Cairo. — Washington Post, "Egypt’s conservative crusader puts belly dancers and pop stars in the dock," 28 Sep. 2019 Click through above for the must-see shows coming to Houston. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "All the concerts you must see by the end of the year (and beyond)," 5 Nov. 2019 The supermodel appeared to be wearing the see-through dress without underwear. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Naomi Campbell's Naked Dress Stole the Show at London Fashion Week," 15 Sep. 2019 At the other end of the political see-saw sits the Brexit Party, which has pledged to quit the EU without a deal. — The Economist, "What happened to Britain’s median voter?," 31 Oct. 2019 Beer cans fit like puzzle pieces into the see-through backpack. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Will strict security measures spoil the fun at Hardly Strictly? Hardly, fans say," 4 Oct. 2019 The goal scoring was just getting started in what would turn out to be a see-saw battle. — Josh Guesman, Los Angeles Times, "Galaxy fall to lowly Whitecaps in final home game before playoffs," 29 Sep. 2019

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.