n.
- A view or vista.
- A mental view or outlook: "It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present" (Fabian Linden).
- The appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision.
- The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole: a perspective of history; a need to view the problem in the proper perspective.
- Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker.
- The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.
- The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.
Of, relating to, seen, or represented in perspective.
[Middle English, science of optics (influenced by French perspective, perspective), from Medieval Latin perspectīva (ars), feminine of perspectīvus, optical, from perspectus, past participle of perspicere, to inspect : per-, per- + specere, to look.]
perspectival per·spec'tiv·al adj.perspectively per·spec'tive·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
