farsighted

adjective

far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˌsī-təd 

1

a

: seeing or able to see to a great distance

Intuition is sometimes symbolized as an eagle, a farsighted bird which can see a very long distance from a very great height.

—Frances E. Vaughan

b

: having or showing foresight or good judgment : sagacious

a farsighted leader

a farsighted plan/policy/decision

Farsighted planners hope to use the memory of the flood to open up the river …

—Nicholas Helburn

2

: able to see distant things better than near ones : affected with farsightedness

farsighted eyes/vision

… offers free screenings and private consultations … for nearsighted and farsighted people who want to find out if they are good candidates for Laser Vision Correction.

—Sue Petty

farsightedly adverb

… assuring that our pension obligations are fully funded in a long-term effort that was farsightedly proposed … some years ago …

—Stephen Hudspeth

Synonyms

• farseeing
• forehanded
• foreseeing
• foresighted
• forethoughtful
• forward
• forward-looking
• prescient
• proactive
• provident
• visionary

Examples of farsighted in a Sentence

plans made by farsighted city leaders

farsighted conservationists long ago realized that wilderness areas of breathtaking beauty needed to be protected from future development

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the appealing tale, a farsighted band of Americans, with some input from poorer but learned Britons, recognized the failures of the international economic system after World War I, in particular the Great Depression. —Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022

Eto’s lofty position in the Chicago underworld was unusual for an outsider, but the syndicate had always been more farsighted than other crime families in promoting gangsters of other ethnicities. —Peter Rubin, Longreads, 12 May 2023

From the Evening Tribune, Saturday, March 10, 1973: DREAM COME TRUE Space Theater dedicated amid starry display The long dream of a small group of farsighted San Diegans became a reality today with the dedication of the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center. —Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023

As the United States begins the Herculean task of digging itself out from the worst economic downturn in generations, policy makers need to focus on rebuilding in smart and farsighted ways, and that means cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending whenever possible. —Elliott Negin, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

farsighted

adjective

far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˈsīt-əd 

1

: having foresight

2

: able to see distant things more clearly than near ones

farsightedly adverb

Medical Definition

farsighted

adjective

far·​sight·​ed ˈfär-ˈsīt-əd 

1

: seeing or able to see to a great distance

2

: affected with hyperopia

farsightedly adverb