What does "visa" mean?
A permit to enter and leave a country, normally issued by the authorities of the country to be visited.
Visa
/ˈviːzə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A permit to enter and leave a country, normally issued by the authorities of the country to be visited.
- Grammar: visa is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accept, acceptance, accredit, affidavit.
- Useful contrasts: American Express network, Mastercard network, entry ban.
- Usage evidence: I want to get a sightseeing visa.
How to use "visa"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "visa" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "visa" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "visa" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "visa" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "visa" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accept" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "visa", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A permit to enter and leave a country, normally issued by the authorities of the country to be visited.
"I came on a six-month tourist visa."
- 2 A credit card issued by the credit card company Visa.
- 3 Initialism of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 4 an endorsement made in a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country issuing it wordnet
- 5 A credit card.
Verb
- 1 To endorse (a passport, etc.). dated, transitive
""Let me tell you that I am going to spit into that coffee! Yes, and if you do not get me my passport visaed this very minute, I shall take it to Monsignor myself.”"
- 2 approve officially wordnet
- 3 provide (a passport) with a visa wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A credit card company.
"Got PayPal or Visa, whatever'll please ya As long as I've got the dough."
- 2 Alternative spelling of visa. alt-of, alternative
Antonyms
American Express networkMastercard networkentry banvisa denial
Example
"I want to get a sightseeing visa."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "visa"?
Common synonyms include: accept, acceptance, accredit, affidavit, affirm, affirmance.
How do you use "visa" in a sentence?
I want to get a sightseeing visa.
How do you pronounce "visa"?
Pronounced /ˈviːzə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From 1831, "official signature or endorsement on a passport," from French visa, from Latin charta vīsa (“paper that has been seen”) from feminine perfect passive of Latin vidēre (“to see”). Compare vision, video, vista.
Etymology 2
Coined by the company's founder, Dee Hock, who believed that the word was instantly recognizable in many languages and that it denoted universal acceptance.