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

If a tourist, reporter and documentary filmmaker each filmed the same vista in a national park using the same equipment, the lawsuit alleged, only the filmmaker would be required to obtain a permit and pay a fee if the purpose was found to be commercial and not news-gathering. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2024

The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest With vistas over St. Stephen’s Basilica and hints of the Buda Hills and the Hungarian Parliament in the background, The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest captures the pulse of the city in its central location just off the lively Erzsébet and Deák squares. —Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Upstairs, the primary suite has some of the best vistas that the abode has to offer, thanks to its floor-to-ceiling windows. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2024

And those vistas are stunning -- the game is drawn with a painterly palette, with the sky, especially at sunset, lit with a stunning pastel display of color. —Jason Bennett, arkansasonline.com, 15 Dec. 2024

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

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