vision | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

64 entries found.

c. 1300, "something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural," from Anglo-French visioun, Old French vision "presence, sight; view, look, appearance; dream, supernatural sight" (12c.), from Latin visionem (nominative visio) "act of seeing, sight, thing seen," noun of action from past participle stem of videre "to see," from PIE root *weid- "to see." The meaning "sense of sight" is first recorded late 15c. Meaning "statesman-like foresight, political sagacity" is attested from 1926.

invision (n.)

"want of vision," 1640s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + vision (n.).

Vistavision (n.)

form of wide-screen cinematography, 1954; see vista + vision.

Panavision (n.)

1955, proprietary name of a type of wide-screen lens, a word formed from elements of panorama + vision.

vid.

abbreviation of vide, Latin imperative singular of videre "to see" (see vision).

visionary (adj.)

"able to see visions," 1650s (earlier "perceived in a vision," 1640s), from vision + -ary. Meaning "impractical" is attested from 1727. The noun is attested from 1702, from the adjective; originally "one who indulges in impractical fantasies."

envision (v.)

1914, from en- (1) "make, put in" + vision (n.). Related: Envisioned; envisioning. Earlier (1827) is envision'd in sense "endowed with vision."

voila (interj.)

1739, French voilà, imperative of voir "to see, to view" (from Latin videre "to see;" see vision) + la "there" (from Latin ille "yonder;" see le).

visible (adj.)

mid-14c., from Old French visable, visible "perceptible" (12c.) and directly from Latin visibilis "that may be seen," from visus, past participle of videre "to see" (see vision). An Old English word for this was eagsyne. Related: Visibly.

au revoir (interj.)

1690s, French, "good-bye for now," literally "to the seeing again." From au "to the" (see au) + revoir "see again, see in turn" (Old French reveoir, 12c.), from Latin revidere, from re- "back, again" (see re-) + videre "to see" (see vision).

Trending words