vista

1 of 2

noun

vis·​ta ˈvi-stə 

1

: a distant view through or along an avenue or opening : prospect

2

: an extensive mental view (as over a stretch of time or a series of events)

VISTA

2 of 2

abbreviation

Volunteers in Service to America

Did you know?

Vista is generally used today for broad sweeping views of the kind you might see from a mountaintop. But the word originally meant an avenue-like view, narrowed by a line of trees on either side. And vista has also long been used (like view and outlook) to mean a mental scan of the future—as if you were riding down a long grand avenue and what you could see a mile or so ahead of you was where you'd be in the very near future.

Synonyms

Noun

• command
• lookout
• outlook
• panorama
• perspective
• prospect
• view

Examples of vista in a Sentence

Noun

a gorgeous vista of the mountains from the front window

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nabulsi depicts the West Bank with romantic vision, lingering on sweeping hillside vistas and peppering vivid memories of the natural world into dialogue. —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025

Photo : Andrew Orozco/Open House The picturesque vistas. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025

Rent from any of the various sports equipment centers in town, lather up with sunscreen, and float down the crystal clear river where alpine vistas are always just around the bend. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025

Of course, the prestigious school also is a massive economic generator for the famously progressive, and beautiful, close-in Chicago suburb, a community with grand old homes and enviable lakefront vistas but also some downtown business problems and struggling neighborhoods demanding attention. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, sight, from visto, past participle of vedere to see, from Latin vidēre — more at wit

First Known Use

Noun

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for vista

• crista
• arista
• artiste
• batiste
• sandinista

Kids Definition

vista

noun

vis·​ta ˈvis-tə 

1

: a distant view through an opening or along an avenue : prospect

2

: a mental view over a long period of time

Geographical Definition

Vista

geographical name

Vis·​ta ˈvi-stə 

city in southwestern California north of San Diego population 93,834