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noun

1
as in diviner
one who predicts future events or developments according to Greek myth, Cassandra was a visionary who was endowed with the gift of inerrant prophecy but fated to never be believed

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world 19th-century visionaries who founded short-lived communities in which everyone was supposed to live in perfect peace and harmony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective visionary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of visionary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, and quixotic. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

How is chimerical related to other words for visionary?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When might fanciful be a better fit than visionary?

In some situations, the words fanciful and visionary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When can fantastic be used instead of visionary?

The meanings of fantastic and visionary largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than visionary?

Although the words imaginary and visionary have much in common, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

When could quixotic be used to replace visionary?

While in some cases nearly identical to visionary, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of visionary
Adjective
Carrier contends that early Christianity began as a purely visionary movement worshipping a celestial figure, an angelic being who took on human flesh to be crucified by Satan, buried, and reborn in the sky. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025 The opportunity to bring Jamie Lloyd's singular, visionary ideas to life onstage is an honor unlike any other. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Beleaguered French President Emmanuel Macron — whose government keeps collapsing – is reborn as a Gaullist visionary, vowing to rebuild Europe’s military strength. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025 Concerning the avant-garde, John Quinn, the visionary behind the 1913 Armory Show, was more adventurous, leaning into Cubism and Duchamp’s radical experiments where Barnes balked. Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for visionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for visionary
Adjective
  • There’s something inexorably romantic and swashbucklingly adventurous about commercial space travel—about normal people, non-astronauts like you and me, well, being astronauts.
    Raven Smith, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Winter Spring Summer or Fall — a romantic drama starring Jenna Ortega and her former Wednesday co-star Percy Hynes White — is coming soon to digital streaming and theaters.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This is another reason to be cautious about forecasting tariff impacts.
    George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Collins said Republicans also need to be cautious about slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families, another budget-cutting target identified by fiscal conservatives.
    Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • That spells trouble in the Indo-Pacific, a watery region where military leaders and Beltway diviners believe a war over Taiwan could erupt as soon as 2027.
    Colin Demarest, Axios, 8 Mar. 2025
  • That spells trouble in the Indo-Pacific, a watery region where military leaders and Beltway diviners believe a war over Taiwan could erupt as soon as 2027.
    Colin Demarest, Axios, 8 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Speaking the charts, keep charting your courses, dreamers.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Instead of working with the best of the best, Haney now instructs amateur players of all ages and abilities, ranging from low handicappers to the dreamer who just wants to break 90.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With different work schedules, travel and other family obligations, accommodating the wishes of the one sibling has been impractical.
    Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Several once-popular home décor styles are now making spaces look outdated or impractical, according to experts.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This relic of constitutional law, which the Supreme Court hasn’t taken seriously since its quiet death in the New Deal era, is more mythical than historical—holding, more or less, that Congress cannot delegate its lawmaking power to another branch of government.
    Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
  • This name originates from a Greek myth. Eunice: Another historic Greek name, the mythical Eunice was the sea-nymph daughter of Nereus and Doris.
    Lydia Wang, Parents, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These concerns underscore the need for careful consideration of privacy rights when deploying such technology.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Why America's business leaders engage in delicate diplomacy Corporate America's careful rhetoric — even as many big companies brace for the impact of the market volatility and the tariffs — illustrates the delicate diplomacy that business leaders are trying to engage in.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • On the sublime 12-inch version—dub itself being a kind of ghost music—Rico Rodriguez takes his long solo as if standing atop a prophet’s peak, overlooking a city in flames.
    Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
  • During this time, the Nation of Islam’s theology included the idea that God came embodied in the person of Fard Muhammad, and that Elijah Muhammad was his prophet.
    Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Visionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/visionary. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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