What does "visionary" mean?
Someone who has visions; a seer.
Visionary
/ˈvɪʒn̩(ə)ɹi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who has visions; a seer.
- Grammar: visionary is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: seer, abstract, abstracted, academic.
- Useful contrasts: futureless, unimaginative, grounded.
- Usage evidence: Will Apple lose its mojo now that its visionary founder is dead?
How to use "visionary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "visionary" 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 "visionary" 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 "visionary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "visionary" 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 "visionary" is acting as adj, noun 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 "seer" 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 "visionary", 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 Someone who has visions; a seer.
- 2 a person with unusual powers of foresight wordnet
- 3 An impractical dreamer.
"For seven years [Christopher Columbus] begged persistently for aid, but in vain. He was looked upon as a visionary, and the very boys in the street mocked him as a lunatic. At length he was permitted to lay his plans before a committee of learned men, but only to have them ridiculed, the council dismissing him as a foolish enthusiast."
- 4 a person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible wordnet
- 5 Someone who has creative and positive ideas about the future.
"Robertson was finally asked to step down at the end of 1961. His successor would be Dr Beeching, who was seen as both visionary and axeman."
Adjective
- 1 Having vision or foresight.
"No more theſe ſeenes my meditation aid, / Or lull to reſt the viſionary mind."
- 2 Imaginary or illusory.
"I wrapp’d myself in grandeur then, And donn’d a visionary crown— Yet it was not that Fantasy Had thrown her mantle over me— But that, among the rabble—men, Lion ambition is chain’d down— […]"
- 3 Prophetic or revelatory.
"Here frequent, at the viſionary hour, / When muſing midnight reigns or ſilent noon, / Angelic harps are in full concert heard, / And voiced chaunting from the wood-crown’d hill, / The deepening dale, or inmoſt ſilvan glade[…]"
- 4 Idealistic or utopian.
"a visionary scheme or project"
Adjective
- 1 not practical or realizable; speculative wordnet
Example
"Will Apple lose its mojo now that its visionary founder is dead?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "visionary"?
Common synonyms include: seer, abstract, abstracted, academic, addict, airy.
How do you use "visionary" in a sentence?
Will Apple lose its mojo now that its visionary founder is dead?
How do you pronounce "visionary"?
Pronounced /ˈvɪʒn̩(ə)ɹi/.
Etymology
From vision + -ary.