perspective
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a particular way of thinking about something, often influenced by your own experiences.
n.a specific cognitive orientation or mental outlook used to evaluate or interpret a situation.
Simple“Traveling to different countries gave her a new perspective on her own culture.”
In context“The historian argued that we must examine the conflict from the perspective of the local population rather than relying solely on official government reports.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the method of drawing or painting that makes objects look three-dimensional and far away.
n.the technique of representing three-dimensional spatial relationships on a two-dimensional plane.
Simple“The artist used perspective to make the long road look like it disappeared into the distance.”
In context“Renaissance painters mastered linear perspective, allowing them to create a convincing illusion of depth that had been absent in medieval art.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the ability to judge which things are truly important and which are not.
n.the capacity to view things in their true relationship or relative importance.
Simple“He was so upset about the broken plate that he lost all perspective on the situation.”
In context“After the crisis had passed, the manager was able to regain her perspective and realise that the minor delays would not affect the project's ultimate success.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a view or scene stretching into the distance.
n.a visible scene or vista, especially one that provides a sense of distance.
Simple“From the top of the hill, a beautiful perspective of the valley opened up before us.”
In context“The long avenue of oak trees created a grand perspective that led the eye directly toward the palace gates.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the way things are seen or drawn to show depth.
adj.pertaining to the art or science of representing depth and spatial relationships.
Simple“The architect showed us a perspective drawing of the new office building.”
In context“The student struggled with the perspective geometry required to accurately render the complex architectural arches.”
perspective vs prospective — Perspective is a mental viewpoint or physical angle, while prospective describes something expected to happen in the future.
Usage adopt perspective · broad perspective · global perspective
“When it comes to 9/11, however, Spiegelman’s perspective has shifted.”
“Most of them don’t have an international perspective,” Mansoori said.”
From Middle English perspective, perspectif, attested since 1381, from Old French or Middle French, from the first word of the Medieval Latin perspectiva ars (“science of optics”), the feminine of Latin perspectivus (“of sight, optical”), from perspectus, the past participle of perspicere (“to inspect, look through”), itself from per- (“through”) + specere (“to look at”); the noun sense was influenced or mediated by Italian prospettiva, from prospetto (“prospect”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.