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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

visionary en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈvɪʒn̩(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈvɪʒəˌnɛɹi/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English visioun English vision Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusder. Middle English -arie English -ary English visionary From vision + -ary.

Meanings

  1. Having vision or foresight.
    • No more theſe ſeenes my meditation aid, / Or lull to reſt the viſionary mind. 1717, Alexander Pope, “Eloisa to Abelard”, in The Works of Alexander Pope, page 163:
  2. Imaginary or illusory.
    • To many, the visionary hope which is born of the imagination may seem the very mockery of nothing. We cannot imagine what we have never experienced. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 291:
    • Here Mr. Jackson smiled once more upon the company; and, applying his left thumb to the tip of his nose, worked a visionary coffee-mill with his right hand, thereby performing a very graceful piece of pantomime (then much in vogue, but now, unhappily, almost obsolete) which was familiarly denominated taking a grinder. 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers:
    • 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— […] 1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems:
  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[…] 1727, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Works of James Thomson, page 69:
  4. Idealistic or utopian.
    • I confeſs, the Merit of this Candour and Condeſcenſion is very much leſſened ; becauſe your Lordſhip hardly leaves us Room to offer our good Wiſhes ; removing all our Difficulties, and ſupplying our Wants, faſter than the moſt viſionary Projector can adjuſt his Schemes. c. 1712, Jonathan Swift, “A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Tongue”, in The Works of J.S., volume I, Dublin: George Faulkner, published 1735, page 187:
    • a visionary scheme or project

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most visionary Degree=Sup lexicographic
more visionary Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

visionariness · unvisionary · nonvisionary · visionarily

Translations (94)

mk фанта́стичен (imaginary or illusory) · ka წინასწარმეტყველური (prophetic or revelatory) · ru проро́ческий (prophetic or revelatory) · ru при́зрачный (imaginary or illusory) · nl onrealistisch (idealistic or utopian) · fr imaginaire (imaginary or illusory) · de unwirklich (imaginary or illusory) · pt visionário (having vision or foresight) · nl idealistisch (idealistic or utopian) · da utopisk (idealistic or utopian) · es visionario (having vision or foresight) · fi visionäärinen (having vision or foresight) · bg утопичен (idealistic or utopian) · nl denkbeeldig (imaginary or illusory) · nl visionair (having vision or foresight) · de hellseherisch (prophetic or revelatory) · fi utopistinen (idealistic or utopian) · mk за́мислен (imaginary or illusory) · de seherisch (prophetic or revelatory) · bg илюзорен (imaginary or illusory) · de ideal (idealistic or utopian) · fi idealistinen (idealistic or utopian) · nl onwerkelijk (imaginary or illusory) · bg мечтателен (idealistic or utopian) · mk нере́ален (imaginary or illusory) · ru идеалисти́ческий (idealistic or utopian) · fi ihanteellinen (idealistic or utopian) · ka მეოცნებე (imaginary or illusory) · ka წარმოსახვითი (idealistic or utopian) · ru ве́щий (prophetic or revelatory) · fr visionnaire (having vision or foresight) · ru мечта́тельный (imaginary or illusory) · tr vizyoner (having vision or foresight) · bg ясновидски (prophetic or revelatory) · nl helderziende (prophetic or revelatory) · nl utopisch (idealistic or utopian) · da urealistisk (idealistic or utopian) · bg визионерски (having vision or foresight) · mk визионе́рски (having vision or foresight) · fr prophétique (prophetic or revelatory) · it ideale (idealistic or utopian) · it immaginario (imaginary or illusory) · it chiaroveggente (prophetic or revelatory) · ru фантасти́ческий (imaginary or illusory) · ga aislingeach (having vision or foresight) · mk ви́довит (prophetic or revelatory) · nn visjonær (having vision or foresight) · gl visionario (having vision or foresight) · bg въображаем (imaginary or illusory) · ca visionari (having vision or foresight) · de visionär (having vision or foresight) · nb visjonær (having vision or foresight) · ka უტოპიური (idealistic or utopian) · ru нереа́льный (imaginary or illusory) · ga aislingeach (imaginary or illusory) · it illusorio (imaginary or illusory) · fi kuvitteellinen (imaginary or illusory) · da visionær (having vision or foresight) · fi näkemyksellinen (having vision or foresight) · da uvirkelig (imaginary or illusory) · ka არარეალური (imaginary or illusory) · it veggente (prophetic or revelatory) · nl ingebeeld (imaginary or illusory) · fi profeetallinen (prophetic or revelatory) · ro vizionar (prophetic or revelatory) · fi ilmestyksellinen (prophetic or revelatory) · ru мни́мый (imaginary or illusory) · it visionario (having vision or foresight) · ru вообража́емый (imaginary or illusory) · fr illusoire (imaginary or illusory) · mk воо́бразен (imaginary or illusory) · fr idéaliste (idealistic or utopian) · it visionario (prophetic or revelatory) · ru иллюзо́рный (imaginary or illusory) · fr utopique (idealistic or utopian) · sv visionär (having vision or foresight) · tr ütopik (idealistic or utopian) · mk идеали́стички (idealistic or utopian) · hi दूरदर्शी (having vision or foresight) · ka ფანტაზიორი (imaginary or illusory) · nl visionair (prophetic or revelatory) · cy gweledigaethol (having vision or foresight) · nl onverwezenlijkbaar (idealistic or utopian) · es visionario (prophetic or revelatory) · it lungimirante (having vision or foresight) · ga aislingeach (idealistic or utopian) · ro vizionar (having vision or foresight) · da idealistisk (idealistic or utopian) · nl fantastisch (idealistic or utopian) · ga aislingeach (prophetic or revelatory) · ka იდეალისტური (idealistic or utopian) · tr idealist (idealistic or utopian) · mk јасно́виден (prophetic or revelatory) · mk со́нлив (idealistic or utopian)

visionary en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈvɪʒn̩(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈvɪʒəˌnɛɹi/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English visioun English vision Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusder. Middle English -arie English -ary English visionary From vision + -ary.

Meanings

  1. Someone who has visions; a seer.
  2. An impractical dreamer.
    • In a military sense Russia is defenceless, and we all supposed it a proof that they were mere visionaries when they started negotiations by insisting upon not surrendering any Russian territory to the Germans. 1918 January 3, Bertrand Russell, “The German Peace Offer”, in The Tribunal; republished as Autobiography, 1998, →ISBN, pages 308–9:
    • Along with the good planners there are lots of wild-eyed visionaries who don’t relate ideas to real-life practicalities. 1968, Engineering News-Record, volume 181, page 112:
    • 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. 1897, Charles Morris, A History of the United States of America: Its People, and Its Institutions, page 18:
    • Jefferson’s intellectual prowess led some political opponents to dismiss him as a visionary, but he was remarkably successful in politics. 1991, Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., “Jefferson, Thomas”, in Eric Foner, John A. Garraty, editors, The Reader’s Companion to American History, →ISBN, page 592:
  3. 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. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 51:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
visionaries Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

televisionary

Translations (84)

ru фанта́ст (impractical dreamer) · nl visionair (someone who has visions) · ca visionari (someone who has visions) · bg фантазьор (impractical dreamer) · ru фантазёрка (impractical dreamer) · mk гле́дач (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · hi दूरदर्शी (someone who has visions) · vo jivisionan (someone who has visions) · da visionær (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · ru идеали́стка (impractical dreamer) · fr visionnaire (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · mk визионе́рка (someone who has visions) · nl fantast (impractical dreamer) · it visionaria (someone who has visions) · es visionario (someone who has visions) · nb visjonær (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · it visionario (impractical dreamer) · de Visionär (someone who has visions) · de Schwärmerin (impractical dreamer) · ka იდეალისტი (impractical dreamer) · da visionær (someone who has visions) · mk визионе́р (someone who has visions) · ru визионе́рка (someone who has visions) · da fantast (impractical dreamer) · mk ме́чтател (impractical dreamer) · fi visionääri (someone who has visions) · ru фанта́стка (impractical dreamer) · it visionaria (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · ga aislingeach (impractical dreamer) · de Idealist (impractical dreamer) · ka მეოცნებე (impractical dreamer) · ga aislingeach (someone who has visions) · da drømmer (impractical dreamer) · eo viziulo (someone who has visions) · de Visionärin (someone who has visions) · uk візіоне́рка (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · cs vizionář (someone who has visions) · ca visionària (impractical dreamer) · it visionario (someone who has visions) · it visionario (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · ca visionària (someone who has visions) · fr visionnaire (someone who has visions) · fr utopiste (impractical dreamer) · it visionaria (impractical dreamer) · ru мечта́тель (impractical dreamer) · es visionaria (someone who has visions) · ru идеали́ст (impractical dreamer) · vo visionan (someone who has visions) · gd taibhsear (someone who has visions) · de Schwärmer (impractical dreamer) · ru прови́дец (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · ru мечта́тельница (impractical dreamer) · ka ფანტაზიორი (impractical dreamer) · ka მეოცნებე (someone who has visions) · de Fantast (impractical dreamer) · mk фантазёр (impractical dreamer) · ka ფანტაზიორი (someone who has visions) · bg визионер (someone who has visions) · fi haaveilija (impractical dreamer) · de Träumer (impractical dreamer) · uk візіоне́р (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · nn visjonær (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · bg мечтател (impractical dreamer) · de Idealistin (impractical dreamer) · de Träumerin (impractical dreamer) · es visionaria (impractical dreamer) · uk візіоне́рка (someone who has visions) · ka წინასწარმეტყველი (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · ru вы́думщик (impractical dreamer) · ru фантазёр (impractical dreamer) · ru проро́к (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · da idealist (impractical dreamer) · ru визионе́р (someone who has visions) · sv visionär (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · vo hivisionan (someone who has visions) · nl dromer (impractical dreamer) · uk візіоне́р (someone who has visions) · ru вы́думщица (impractical dreamer) · de Fantastin (impractical dreamer) · ru прорица́тель (someone who has creative and positive ideas for the future) · he חוֹזֶה (someone who has visions) · nl idealist (impractical dreamer) · es visionario (impractical dreamer) · ca visionari (impractical dreamer)