What does farsighted mean?
Farsighted is an adjective with two distinct senses. Its dominant meaning is figurative: describing a person, plan, or decision marked by foresight and sound judgment about long-term consequences. A farsighted leader anticipates problems before they arise; a farsighted policy sacrifices short-term convenience for lasting benefit. In this sense the word is strongly laudatory, implying prudence, imagination, and strategic thinking. The second sense is literal and medical: in North American usage, farsighted describes hyperopia, a visual condition in which distant objects are seen clearly while close ones appear blurred. British English typically uses 'long-sighted' for the same condition. The word is formed transparently from 'far' plus 'sighted', and its opposite in both senses is 'nearsighted'. Because context almost always signals which meaning is intended — praise for a strategist versus a prescription for glasses — farsighted remains a clear and useful word for describing both wise planning and a particular way of seeing.
Having or showing foresight and prudent judgment about future needs and consequences.
"The city's farsighted planners reserved parkland along the river before developers could claim it."
This is the dominant sense today and carries a positive connotation.
(Of vision) able to see distant objects clearly while unable to focus on near ones; hyperopic.
"Since her cataract surgery she has been farsighted and keeps reading glasses in every room."
Common in North American usage; British English prefers 'long-sighted'.
Farsighted is one of those rare words that means two almost opposite-sounding things: it can describe someone with brilliant vision of the future — or someone who literally cannot read a menu up close.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of farsighted
Farsighted is a straightforward compound of the Germanic roots 'far' (distant) and 'sighted' (having sight), both ancient words inherited from Old English. It emerged in English usage around the late eighteenth century, first applied to vision and later extended figuratively to describe mental foresight. It belongs to a family of compound adjectives built on 'sighted', including nearsighted, shortsighted, and long-sighted.
Related word forms
How farsighted is actually used
The figurative sense (showing foresight) carries a strongly positive connotation, praising wisdom and planning. The literal optical sense is common in North American usage, where 'farsighted' corresponds to hyperopia; in British English, 'long-sighted' is preferred for this visual condition. Context makes clear which sense applies.
Easily confused with farsighted
Nearsighted means seeing nearby objects clearly but distant ones blurred (or, figuratively, lacking foresight), the direct opposite of farsighted in both its visual and figurative senses.