Added 9 October 2026
perspective
/pɚˈspɛk.tɪv/ noun
Latin root: perspectiva Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about perspective at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A view, vista or outlook.
- The appearance of depth in objects, especially as perceived using binocular vision.
- The technique of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.
adjective
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)