vanishing point

noun

1
: a point at which receding parallel lines seem to meet when represented in linear perspective
2
: a point at which something disappears or ceases to exist

Illustration of vanishing point

Illustration of vanishing point
  • V vanishing point 1

Examples of vanishing point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Customers complained of vanishing points on their accounts, prompting the company to contact the Michigan State Police. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 4 Jan. 2024 Perpendicular to the tracks is a kilometer-long road that accommodates recurring police car chases that go out into what looks like a matte painting but is actually a vanishing point where the manufactured desert meets the Spanish sky. Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2024 But years of relentless human population growth have driven many to the vanishing point: Florida is home to sixty-seven species of threatened and endangered animals, among the highest numbers in the continental U.S. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023 Together the vanishing points define the viewpoint of the observer. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2023 Historic Black communities in Fayetteville are down to the vanishing point, panelists were told. Doug Thompson, Arkansas Online, 23 June 2023 These renderings can proceed in different ways, determined by the number of vanishing points employed. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2023 Many of the environments have vanishing points deep into the distance, creating a sense of overwhelming scale, a cross between old Soviet and Fascist architectural drawings and the eerie infinite spaces in Roy Andersson’s Songs from the Second Floor. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023 Dack’s formidably original perspective and temperament seem formatted away to the vanishing point. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vanishing point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanishing point was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near vanishing point

Cite this Entry

“Vanishing point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanishing%20point. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vanishing point

noun
: a point at which parallel lines seem to meet (as in a drawing)
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