aspect

noun

as·​pect ˈa-ˌspekt How to pronounce aspect (audio)
1
a
: a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded
They studied every aspect of the question.
b(1)
: appearance to the eye or mind
the threatening aspect of the dark sky
(2)
: a particular appearance of the face : mien
… all that's best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes.Lord Byron
2
a
: the position of planets or stars with respect to one another held by astrologers to influence human affairs
also : the apparent position (such as conjunction) of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun
b
: a position facing a particular direction : exposure
a house with a southern aspect
c
: the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current
3
grammar
a
: the nature of the action of a verb as to its beginning, duration, completion, or repetition and without reference to its position in time
b
: a set of inflected (see inflect sense 1) verb forms that indicate aspect
4
archaic : an act of looking : gaze
aspectual adjective

Did you know?

Since aspectus in Latin means "looked at", an aspect of something is basically the direction from which it's looked at. So we may say that travel is your favorite aspect of your job, or that eating well is one aspect of a healthy life. If you look at a stage set from the front, it looks completely different than from behind, where all the mechanisms are visible, and both aspects are important. The word can be very useful when you're analyzing something, and it's used a great deal in the writings of scholars.

Examples of aspect in a Sentence

depending on what aspect of college life you consider most important, there are several colleges which might be good for you he has the aspect of a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Levine would be fired for season 2 and later producers would tweak that ratio — naturally preferring the Superman aspects — but also going to cartoonish lengths to prolong its eponymous romance. Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 The findings in this study show some evidence that biocultural reproduction–both biological and cultural aspects that influence evolution–and not brain growth alone are behind our long childhoods. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024 Furthermore, commuting can strain employees' finances, especially those who face rising living expenses in other aspects of their lives. Steve Osler, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Organizations need a bold approach that touches every aspect of governance and leadership. Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for aspect 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin aspectus, from aspicere to look at, from ad- + specere to look — more at spy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of aspect was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near aspect

Cite this Entry

“Aspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspect. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

aspect

noun
as·​pect ˈas-ˌpekt How to pronounce aspect (audio)
1
: a position facing a certain direction : exposure
2
: a certain way in which something appears or may be regarded
studied every aspect of the question
3
: the way something appears

Medical Definition

aspect

noun
as·​pect ˈas-ˌpekt How to pronounce aspect (audio)
1
: the part of an object (as an organ) in a particular position
the medial aspects of the kneesR. H. Nyquist
2
: a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded
the medicolegal aspects of pregnancyBulletin of Meharry Medical College

More from Merriam-Webster on aspect

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