Webster's English Dictionary

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perspective

1. per.spec.tive \p*r-'spek-tiv\ n [ML perspectivum, fr. neut. of 
   perspectivus of sight, optical, fr.]L perspectus, pp. of perspicere to look 
   through, see clearly, fr. per- through + specere to look - more at PER-, 
   SPY : an optical glass (as a telescope) 
2. perspective aj [ME, fr. ML perspectivus] obs  1: aiding the vision {~ 
   glass}  2: of, relating to, or seen in perspective  - per.spec.tive.ly av
3. perspective n [MF, prob. modif. of OIt prospettiva, fr. prospetto view, 
   prospect,] fr. L prospectus - more at PROSPECT 1a: the technique or process 
   of representing on a plane or curved surface t he spatial relation of 
   objects as they might appear to the eye; specif : LINEAR PERSPECTIVE 1b: 
   the technique of adjusting the apparent sources of sounds (as on a radi o 
   program) into a natural-seeming and integrated whole 2a: the aspect in 
   which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed  2b: capacity to view 
   things in their true relations or relative importance  3a1: a visible 
   scene; esp : one giving a distinctive impression of  distance : VISTA 3a2: 
   a mental view or prospect  3b: a picture in linear perspective  4: the 
   appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distan ce and 
   positions