seen

Verb

see (third-person singular simple present sees, present participle seeing, simple past saw or (dialectal) seen or (dialectal) seent or (dialectal) seed, past participle seen or (dialectal) seent or (dialectal) seed or (dialectal) saw or (dialectal or eye dialect) sawn)

1. (transitive) To perceive or detect someone or something with the eyes, or as if by sight.
   • Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path.[…]It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 18
   1. (transitive) To witness or observe by personal experience.
      • Now I've seen it all!
   2. (transitive) To watch (a movie) at a cinema, or a show on television etc.
      • I saw the latest Tarantino flick last week.
2. To form a mental picture of, to perceive in a certain way.
   • I see it as essential that there should be somewhere to park.
   1. (figuratively) To understand.
      • Do you see what I mean?
   2. (figuratively) To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled.
      • They're blind to the damage they do, but someday they'll see.

See all 27 meanings of see