perspective
gb/pɚspˈɛktɪv/ us/pɚspˈɛktɪv/
B1
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
a particular viewpoint
The way you think about or understand something.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s perspective on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'perspective' with 'prospect'. 'Perspective' is about a point of view; 'prospect' is about a possible future.
Synonyms
viewpoint (More common in both formal and informal contexts; interchangeable in most cases.)
Antonyms
blind spot (Refers to an area of ignorance or unawareness, the opposite of having a considered view.)
Collocations
different perspective
|from my perspective
|gain perspective
|fresh perspective
|broaden perspective
Themes
communication
|thinking
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- From her perspective, the plan made perfect sense.
- We need to consider the problem from different perspectives.
- Traveling abroad gave him a new perspective on life.
- His perspective on politics changed after the election.
Learner examples
- From my perspective, this is a good idea.
- She has a different perspective on the story.
- I want to hear your perspective.
- We talked about the problem from many perspectives.
Noun
B2
property
2
sense of proportion or realism
A clear idea of what is important and what is not.
Usage pattern:
put [something] into perspective
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'viewpoint'; here it refers to balance and proportion, not opinion.
Synonyms
proportion (Focuses on balanced judgment; used more in formal contexts.)
Antonyms
exaggeration (Overstating importance, opposite of keeping perspective.)
Collocations
lose perspective
|keep perspective
|put into perspective
Themes
psychology
|life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After hearing about the disaster, my own problems seemed small in perspective.
- It's important to keep things in perspective when facing challenges.
- The movie puts the war into historical perspective.
Learner examples
- This news puts my problem into perspective.
- Try to keep things in perspective.
- He lost perspective during the argument.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
artistic representation of depth
A way of making pictures look as if they have depth and distance.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with 'viewpoint'; here it is about visual technique, not opinion.
Synonyms
projection (Technical term in art and geometry for mapping 3D onto 2D.)
Antonyms
flatness (Lack of depth or dimensional representation in an image.)
Collocations
linear perspective
|one-point perspective
|perspective drawing
Themes
art
|design
|arts_entertainment
|education
Examples
- The artist used linear perspective to create a realistic street scene.
- Renaissance painters mastered the use of perspective.
- In this drawing, the perspective makes the buildings look far away.
Learner examples
- The picture has good perspective.
- Artists use perspective to show depth.
- This drawing uses one-point perspective.
Grammar
Dictionary form
perspective
IPA
GB/pɚspˈɛktɪv/
US/pɚspˈɛktɪv/
Syllables & stress
per - spect - ive (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (per)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: perspective
- Plural: perspective, perspectives
Word family
Forms
perspectives
noun
Advanced or less common
perspectival
adjective
Expressions
from my perspective
1/fɹˈʌm mˈaɪ pɚspˈɛktɪv/
fixed phrase
in my opinion or view
Used to say what you think about something from your own point of view.
Examples
- From my perspective, this change will be good for everyone.
- From my perspective, the decision was unfair.
in perspective
1/ˈɪn pɚspˈɛktɪv/
fixed phrase
in correct proportion or relation
Seen in a way that shows the right size, importance, or relation to other things.
Examples
- Try to keep the situation in perspective.
- The photo shows the building in perspective with its surroundings.
put into perspective
1/pˈʊt ˈɪntu pɚspˈɛktɪv/
fixed phrase
judge something's importance by comparison
To compare something with other things so you can understand its real importance.
Examples
- The teacher put the exam results into perspective by showing last year's scores.
- This news puts our small problems into perspective.