Standard Lemma guide

visualize

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪʒʊəlaɪz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪzjʊəlaɪz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪʒəlaɪz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪzjʊlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈvɪʒuəˌlaɪz/
  • General-American: /ˈvɪʒəwəˌlaɪz/
  • General-American: /ˈvɪʒəˌlaɪz/
  • General-American: /ˈvɪʒwəˌlaɪz/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V IH1 ZH W AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To perceive (something) visually; to see.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To depict (something) in a way which can be seen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to visualize data using a chart

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; to envisage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods (such as endoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, or X-rays), or other techniques.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hide

Narrower terms: image

5

verb

Meaning 5

To perceive something visually.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To form a mental picture of something; to picture something in the mind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

make visible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • With this machine, ultrasound can be visualized

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: visualise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

8

verb

Meaning 8

imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I can't see him on horseback!
  • I can see what will happen
  • I can see a risk in this strategy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: visualise, envision, project, fancy, see, figure, picture, image

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imagine, conceive of, ideate, envisage

9

verb

Meaning 9

form a mental picture of something that is invisible or abstract

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Mathematicians often visualize

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: visualise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imagine, conceive of, ideate, envisage

10

verb

Meaning 10

view the outline of by means of an X-ray

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The radiologist can visualize the cancerous liver

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: visualise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: watch, view, see, catch, take in

Narrower terms: image

History

Etymology

From visual + -ize (suffix forming verbs denoting the doing or making of what is denoted by the adjectives or nouns to which it is attached).

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: visualisoida — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Finnish: havainnollistaa — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Polish: uzmysławiać — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Polish: uzmysłowić — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Serbo-Croatian: vizualizirati — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Serbo-Croatian: predočiti — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Swedish: framställa — to depict (something) in a way which can be seen
  • Armenian: ըմբռնել (əmbṙnel) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Armenian: պատկերացնել (patkeracʻnel) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Catalan: visualitzar — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遙想 /遥想 (yáoxiǎng) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Danish: visualisere — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Danish: anskueliggøre — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Dutch: visualiseren — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Finnish: kuvitella — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • French: visualiser — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • German: veranschaulichen — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Irish: samhlaigh — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Italian: visualizzare — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Japanese: 思い描く (omoiegaku) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Japanese: 視覚化する (shukakuka suru) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Khmer: ស្រមៃ (srɑɑmay) — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Maltese: vviżwalizza — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Norwegian Bokmål: anskueliggjøre — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Norwegian Bokmål: synliggjøre — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Polish: wizualizować — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Portuguese: visualizar — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Romanian: vizualiza — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Romanian: întrevedea — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Romanian: preconiza — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: vizualizirati — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: predočiti — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Slovak: vizualizovať — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Spanish: visualizar — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Swedish: visualisera — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Swedish: åskådliggöra — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Turkish: tasavvur etmek — (''transitive'') to form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; (''intransitive'') to form a mental picture of something
  • Bulgarian: визуализи́рам (vizualizíram) — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Catalan: visualitzar — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Danish: visualisere — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Danish: synliggøre — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Dutch: visualiseren — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Finnish: visualisoida — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Finnish: tehdä näkyväksi — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Italian: visualizzare — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Japanese: 現す — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Japanese: 表す (arawasu) — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Japanese: 可視化する (kashika suru) — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Maltese: vviżwalizza — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Polish: unaoczniać — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Polish: unaocznić — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Polish: uwidaczniać — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Polish: uwidocznić — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Serbo-Croatian: vizualizirati — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Spanish: visualizar — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Swedish: synliggöra — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Ukrainian: візуалізува́ти (vizualizuváty) — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques
  • Venetan: visuałixar — to make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods or other techniques