See Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Published on April 3, 2024
See refers to perceive with the eyes; to observe. e.g., I can see the stars at night.
Table of Contents
See Definitions
To notice or become aware of something by using the eyes.
She can see the difference between the two colors.
To go with someone to a place.
Let me see you to your car.
To look at a source of information.
See the manual for troubleshooting steps.
To make a decision or judgment about something.
We'll see if the weather improves by tomorrow.
To perceive with the eye
Do you see the hawk in the tree?.
To detect by means analogous to use of the eye
The surveillance camera saw the intruders.
To attend or view as a spectator
Saw a play.
To refer to or look at
Persons interested in the book's history should see page one of the preface.
To become aware of or apprehend
She saw from his expression that he did not want to go.
To find out or ascertain, often by moving
Please see who's knocking.
To take note of; recognize
She sees only the good aspects of the organization.
To consider to be; regard
Many see her as an inspiring figure.
To have a mental image of; visualize
They could still see their hometown as it once was.
To foresee or imagine
I see great things for that child.
To know through firsthand experience; undergo or experience
He saw service in the navy. She has seen many changes in her lifetime.
To be characterized by; be the time for
"The 1930s saw the development of sulfa drugs and penicillin" (Gregg Easterbrook).
To be subjected to; undergo
This word sees a lot of use in sports.
To visit, meet, or be in the company of
I saw all my aunts and uncles at the reunion.
To share the companionship of as a romantic partner
He's been seeing the same woman for eight years.
To visit for consultation
You ought to see your doctor more frequently.
To admit or receive, as for consultation or a social visit
The doctor will see you now.
To escort; attend
I'm seeing Amy home.
To make sure; take care
See that it gets done right away.
To meet (a bet) in card games.
To meet the bet of (another player).
To have the power to perceive with the eyes
Once I got glasses I could see much better.
To have the ability to detect or record visual information
This telescope sees far into space.
To understand; comprehend
As you can see, life in medieval Europe was difficult.
To consider
Let's see, which suitcase should we take?.
To go and look
She had to see for herself and went into the garage.
To ascertain; find out
We probably can do it, but we'll have to see.
To have foresight
"No man can see to the end of time" (John F. Kennedy).
The official seat, center of authority, jurisdiction, or office of a bishop.
(Obsolete) A cathedra.
(transitive) To perceive or detect someone or something with the eyes, or as if by sight.
To witness or observe by personal experience.
Now I've seen it all!
I have been blind since birth and I love to read Braille. When the books arrive in from the library, I can’t wait to see what stories they have sent me.
To watch (a movie) at a cinema, or a show on television etc.
I saw the latest Tarantino flick last week.
To form a mental picture of.
(figuratively) To understand.
Do you see what I mean?
To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled.
They're blind to the damage they do, but someday they'll see.
(transitive) To foresee, predict, or prophesy.
The oracle saw the destruction of the city.
(used in the imperative) Used to emphasise a proposition.
You see, Johnny, your Dad isn't your real father.
You're not welcome here any more, see?
(social) To meet, to visit.
To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit.
To go to see a friend
To date frequently.
I've been seeing her for two months.
To visit for a medical appointment.
You should see a doctor about that rash on your arm.
I've been seeing a therapist for three years now.
(transitive; ergative) To be the setting or time of.
The 20th century saw humanity's first space exploration.
1999 saw the release of many great films.
(by extension) To ensure that something happens, especially while witnessing it.
I'll see you hang for this!
I saw that they didn't make any more trouble.
(transitive) To wait upon; attend, escort.
I saw the old lady safely across the road.
You can see yourself out.
To respond to another player's bet with a bet of equal value.
I'll see your twenty dollars and raise you ten.
To determine by trial or experiment; to find out (if or whether).
I'll come over later and see if I can fix your computer.
You think I can't beat you in a race, eh? We'll see.
(used in the imperative) To reference or to study for further details.
Step 4: In the system, check out the laptop to the student (see: "Logging Resources" in the Tutor Manual).
For a complete proof of the Poincaré conjecture, see Appendix C.
To examine something closely, or to utilize something, often as a temporary alternative.
Can I see that lighter for a second? Mine just quit working.
To include as one of something's experiences.
The equipment has not seen usage outside of our projects.
I saw military service in Vietnam.
Introducing an explanation
See, in order to win the full prize we would have to come up with a scheme to land a rover on the Moon.
A diocese, archdiocese; a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop, especially an archbishop.
The office of a bishop or archbishop; bishopric or archbishopric
A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised.
A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised.
Jove laughed on Venus from his sovereign see.
The seat of episcopal power; a diocese; the jurisdiction of a bishop; as, the see of New York.
To perceive by the eye; to have knowledge of the existence and apparent qualities of by the organs of sight; to behold; to descry; to view.
I will now turn aside, and see this great sight.
To perceive by mental vision; to form an idea or conception of; to note with the mind; to observe; to discern; to distinguish; to understand; to comprehend; to ascertain.
Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren.
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly.
Who's so grossThat seeth not this palpable device?
To follow with the eyes, or as with the eyes; to watch; to regard attentively; to look after.
I had a mind to see him out, and therefore did not care for contradicting him.
To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit; as, to go to see a friend.
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death.
To fall in with; to meet or associate with; to have intercourse or communication with; hence, to have knowledge or experience of; as, to see military service.
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Improvement in wisdom and prudence by seeing men.
To accompany in person; to escort; to wait upon; as, to see one home; to see one aboard the cars.
In poker and similar games at cards, to meet (a bet), or to equal the bet of (a player), by staking the same sum.
To have the power of sight, or of perceiving by the proper organs; to possess or employ the sense of vision; as, he sees distinctly.
Whereas I was blind, now I see.
Figuratively: To have intellectual apprehension; to perceive; to know; to understand; to discern; - often followed by a preposition, as through, or into.
For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Many sagacious persons will find us out, . . . and see through all our fine pretensions.
To be attentive; to take care; to give heed; - generally with to; as, to see to the house.
See that ye fall not out by the way.
Cassio's a proper man, let me see now, -To get his place.
The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
Perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight;
You have to be a good observer to see all the details
Can you see the bird in that tree?
He is blind--he cannot see
Perceive (an idea or situation) mentally;
Now I see!
I just can't see your point
Does she realize how important this decision is?
I don't understand the idea
Perceive or be contemporaneous with;
We found Republicans winning the offices
You'll see a lot of cheating in this school
I want to see results
The 1960 saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditions
I want to see results
Imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind;
I can't see him on horseback!
I can see what will happen
I can see a risk in this strategy
Deem to be;
She views this quite differently from me
I consider her to be shallow
I don't see the situation quite as negatively as you do
Get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally;
I learned that she has two grown-up children
I see that you have been promoted
See or watch;
View a show on television
This program will be seen all over the world
View an exhibition
Catch a show on Broadway
See a movie
Find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort;
I want to see whether she speaks French
See whether it works
Find out if he speaks Russian
Check whether the train leaves on time
Come together;
I'll probably see you at the meeting
How nice to see you again!
Be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something;
He verified that the valves were closed
See that the curtains are closed
Control the quality of the product
Go to see for professional or business reasons;
You should see a lawyer
We had to see a psychiatrist
Go to see for a social visit;
I went to see my friend Mary the other day
Visit a place, as for entertainment;
We went to see the Eiffel Tower in the morning
Take charge of or deal with;
Could you see about lunch?
I must attend to this matter
She took care of this business
Receive as a specified guest;
The doctor will see you now
The minister doesn't see anybody before noon
Date regularly; have a steady relationship with;
Did you know that she is seeing an older man?
He is dating his former wife again!
See and understand, have a good eye;
The artist must first learn to see
Deliberate or decide;
See whether you can come tomorrow
Let's see--which movie should we see tonight?
Observe as if with an eye;
The camera saw the burglary and recorded it
Observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect;
The customs agent examined the baggage
I must see your passport before you can enter the country
Go or live through;
We had many trials to go through
He saw action in Viet Nam
Accompany or escort;
I'll see you to the door
Match or meet;
I saw the bet of one of my fellow players
Make sense of; assign a meaning to;
What message do you see in this letter?
How do you interpret his behavior?
Compare (used in texts to point the reader to another location in the text)
To grasp the meaning of something.
I see what you mean now.
To go to visit a person or place, or consult with a professional.
I need to see a doctor about this cough.
To form a mental image of something.
Can you see yourself living here?
To be in a situation or condition.
We will see better days.
To spend time with someone romantically.
He's been seeing someone from work.
To make sure or verify something.
See that the doors are locked before you leave.
See Snonyms
Observe
To notice or watch something carefully.
He observed the bird through binoculars.
Watch
To look at something for a period of time, especially something that is changing or moving.
She likes to watch the waves at the beach.
Spot
To see or notice someone or something, usually because you are looking hard.
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
View
To look at something in a particular manner.
You can view the painting from this angle.
Perceive
To become aware of something through the senses.
We could barely perceive the boat in the fog.
Glimpse
To see something or someone for a very short time.
I caught a glimpse of the comet in the night sky.
Notice
To become aware of something.
Did you notice the new sign outside?
Examine
To look at something closely and carefully.
The doctor examined her patient thoroughly.
Discern
To see or recognize something by thinking about it carefully.
It's hard to discern the truth in this situation.
Inspect
To look at something carefully in order to learn more about it.
The mechanic inspected the car for any damage.
See Idioms & Phrases
See the back of
To be glad to see someone leave.
I was happy to see the back of him after the argument.
See the light
To understand or realize something after a period of not understanding.
He finally saw the light and apologized.
See eye to eye
To agree with someone.
We don't always see eye to eye on politics, but we're still friends.
Long time no see
A greeting to someone you haven't seen for a long period.
Long time no see! How have you been?
Can't see the forest for the trees
To be unable to understand a situation fully because you're too focused on details.
You're missing the main point; you can't see the forest for the trees.
See the writing on the wall
To understand that something is about to happen, often something bad.
He saw the writing on the wall and sold his shares before the prices dropped.
See something in someone
To recognize a particular quality in someone.
She sees something in him that others don't.
Wait and see
To be patient and find out something later.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
See stars
To be dizzy or semi-conscious, often from a blow to the head.
I saw stars after bumping my head on the door.
See red
To become very angry.
She saw red when she found out her work was copied.
See someone off
To say goodbye to someone who is going on a journey.
We went to the airport to see him off.
See it coming
To expect or foresee something.
I didn't see it coming when they announced the closure.
See about something
To deal with or attend to something.
I need to see about getting the car serviced.
See through someone/something
To realize the truth about someone or something.
She saw through his excuses.
See to it
To make sure that something is done.
Please see to it that the package is mailed today.
See things
To imagine or hallucinate things that are not real.
Lack of sleep made him start seeing things.
See one’s way clear to do something
To find it possible or be willing to do something.
I hope you can see your way clear to forgive me.
See fit
To consider it correct or suitable.
Do as you see fit, I trust your judgement.
To see the light of day
Something becomes known or comes into existence.
Many projects never see the light of day.
See someone through
To support someone during a difficult time.
Her faith saw her through the illness.
See Example Sentences
I can see the moon in the sky tonight.
She tried to see the positive side of the situation.
We went to the top of the hill to see the sunrise.
Can you see the bird on that tree?
He could see a storm coming from the west.
Let's go see a movie tonight.
I'll see if I can find my old baseball glove in the attic.
It's hard to see what's written on the board from back here.
They see each other every weekend.
Can you see the difference between these two pictures?
He was excited to see snow for the first time.
I see that you've made your decision.
We're going to see my grandparents this weekend.
She can see the finish line and is picking up speed.
Try to see it from my point of view.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide see into syllables?
Since "see" is a single syllable, it cannot be divided further.
How is see used in a sentence?
"See" is used to indicate the act of perceiving with the eyes, e.g., Can you see the bird in that tree?
Why is it called see?
"See" comes from the Old English word "sēon," which meant to look or to perceive with the eyes. It has evolved in usage over centuries but retains its core meaning related to vision.
How many syllables are in see?
There is one syllable in "see."
What is the pronunciation of see?
"See" is pronounced as /siː/.
What is the root word of see?
The root word of "see" is the Old English "sēon."
What is the first form of see?
The first form of "see" is "see," which is used for the present simple tense.
What is the singular form of see?
"See" is both singular and plural; it does not change form.
What is another term for see?
Another term for "see" is "observe."
What is a stressed syllable in see?
"See" consists of only one syllable, so that syllable is inherently stressed.
What is the third form of see?
The third form of "see" is "seen," which is used as the past participle.
Is see a noun or adjective?
"See" is a verb.
What part of speech is see?
"See" is a verb.
What is the plural form of see?
"See" does not have a separate plural form; it remains "see."
What is the opposite of see?
The opposite of "see" could be "overlook" or "ignore" in terms of failing to notice, or "blind" in the context of inability to see.
Which vowel is used before see?
The vowel "e" is used in "see."
What is the verb form of see?
"See" itself is the base form of the verb. Its other forms are sees, seeing (present participle), saw (past simple), and seen (past participle).
Is see a collective noun?
No, "see" is a verb and not a noun, so it cannot be a collective noun.
What is the second form of see?
The second form of "see" is "saw," which is the simple past tense of the verb.
Is see an adverb?
No, "see" is not an adverb.
Is the word “see” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"See" is a verb, so it does not serve as a direct or indirect object. However, in sentences, it can take a direct object, e.g., "I can see the tree."
Is see an abstract noun?
"See" is not a noun; it is a verb, so it cannot be an abstract noun.
Is see a negative or positive word?
"See" is neutral; its positivity or negativity depends on the context in which it is used.
Is see a vowel or consonant?
The word "see" begins with a vowel sound.
Is the word see Gerund?
The gerund form of "see" is "seeing."
Which preposition is used with see?
Prepositions used with "see" depend on the context, such as "see into," "see through," or "see about."
Is see a countable noun?
"See" is not a noun; it is a verb.
Is the see term a metaphor?
"See" can be used metaphorically to mean understanding or comprehending something.
Is the word see imperative?
"See" can be used in the imperative mood as a command, e.g., "See for yourself."
Which determiner is used with see?
Determiners are not typically used directly with verbs like "see."
Which conjunction is used with see?
Conjunctions are not specifically used with "see" but connect clauses or sentences in which "see" might appear.
Which article is used with see?
As a verb, "see" does not directly take an article.
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Author Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
