What does farsightedness mean?
Farsightedness is a noun with two distinct senses. Medically, it describes the visual condition — known technically as hyperopia — in which distant objects are seen clearly while close objects appear blurred, often corrected with convex lenses. Figuratively, it denotes the admirable ability to anticipate future needs and plan accordingly, as in 'the farsightedness of the founders.' The word is formed from 'far' + 'sighted' + '-ness', mirroring its opposite, 'nearsightedness'. In American English, calling someone farsighted can mean either that their eyes focus better at distance or that they possess strategic vision; context makes clear which sense applies. The literal sense is clinical and neutral, while the figurative sense is consistently laudatory, associated with wisdom, prudence, and leadership. Because it pairs a physical meaning with an intellectual one, farsightedness is a compact example of how English extends bodily vocabulary into the realm of judgment.
The optical condition in which distant objects are seen clearly while near objects appear blurred; hyperopia.
"His farsightedness was diagnosed after he complained of headaches when reading."
Often paired with its opposite, nearsightedness (myopia); the technical synonym is hyperopia.
The quality of showing wise judgment and careful planning regarding future events or needs.
"Historians credit the chancellor's farsightedness with sparing the country a decade of debt."
Farsightedness is a mass noun in most contexts and is rarely pluralized; the plural form exists grammatically but is uncommon outside clinical writing describing multiple cases.
"The clinic treated several cases of farsightednesses among the new patients."
In British English, 'long-sightedness' is the standard term — so the same blurry-up-close condition goes by different names depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of farsightedness
Farsightedness derives from the adjective 'farsighted', itself a straightforward English compound of 'far' (from Old English 'feorr') and 'sighted', combined with the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. It arose as the natural counterpart to 'nearsightedness' as opticians and writers described defects of vision in plain English rather than Latin-derived terms like hyperopia. The figurative extension to prudent, forward-looking judgment followed the same path taken by 'foresight' and related vision words.
Related word forms
How farsightedness is actually used
The word is a compound of 'far' + 'sighted' + '-ness'. In its medical sense it is often replaced by the technical term 'hyperopia', and in everyday speech many people simply say they are 'farsighted'. The figurative sense (planning ahead) is always positive or neutral in connotation, praising prudence and vision. Note that in American English 'farsighted' carries both meanings, whereas the medical sense is sometimes called 'long-sightedness' in British usage.
Easily confused with farsightedness
Nearsightedness is the opposite condition, in which nearby objects are seen clearly but distant ones are blurred.