perspective. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

perspective

SYLLABICATION:	per·spec·tive
PRONUNCIATION:	pr-spktv
NOUN:	1a. A view or vista. b. A mental view or outlook: “It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present” (Fabian Linden). 2. The appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision. 3a. 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. b. Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker. c. The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis. 4. The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.
ADJECTIVE:	Of, relating to, seen, or represented in perspective.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, science of optics (influenced by French perspective, perspective), from Medieval Latin perspectva (ars), feminine of perspectvus, optical, from perspectus, past participle of perspicere, to inspect : per-, per- + specere, to look; see spek- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:	per·spectiv·al —ADJECTIVE per·spective·ly —ADVERB


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.