seeing
- 01 B1 Intermediate
conj.you use this to give a reason for something, especially when you have just noticed a fact.
conj.used as a subordinating conjunction to introduce a statement that explains or justifies a following action or decision.
Simple“Seeing it's such a nice day, why don't we walk to the park?”
In context“Seeing that the primary witness has failed to appear, the judge has little choice but to grant a further adjournment.”
UsageOften followed by 'that', though 'that' is frequently omitted in speech.
PitfallSeeing that it's raining, so we should stay. Seeing that it's raining, we should stay.Do not use 'so' after 'seeing that'; the first clause already establishes the reason.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of looking at or noticing something with your eyes.
n.the process or instance of visual perception.
Simple“For many people, seeing is believing.”
In context“The sudden seeing of the mountain peak through the clouds provided the hikers with a much-needed boost in morale.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.how clear and steady an image looks through a telescope, depending on the air.
n.the quality of the observing conditions as affected by the turbulence of the Earth's atmosphere.
Simple“The seeing was poor tonight because of the high winds and heat.”
In context“Astronomers prefer high-altitude observatories where the seeing is consistently stable, allowing for high-resolution imaging of distant galaxies.”
UsageUsually uncountable in this technical context.
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having the ability to see; not blind.
adj.possessing the faculty of vision; often used in compound phrases.
Simple“The charity provides seeing eye dogs for people who have lost their vision.”
In context“The exhibition was designed to be accessible to both seeing and non-seeing visitors through the use of tactile displays.”
Usage seeing people
“He's a Moroccan man in his twenties and wants to emigrate to Europe - not least because he's been seeing lots of videos on Instagram that make the trip look easy.”
“We weren’t just robbed of the opportunity of seeing our favourite bands in the flesh.”
From see + -ing.
Probably an elision of "seeing that" or "seeing as".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.