To envision means to picture something in your mind, especially something that doesn't exist yet or hasn't happened. When an architect envisions a new building, she imagines what it will look like before drawing the first blueprint. When you envision your future, you're creating a mental image of who you might become or what you might accomplish.

The word suggests more than casual daydreaming. When you envision something, you're imagining it with purpose and detail. A coach might envision how a new play will work on the field, seeing in his mind how each player will move. An inventor envisions a solution to a problem, picturing how the parts will fit together before building the first prototype.

You might envision the party you're planning, imagining the decorations and activities. A writer envisions scenes before putting them on paper. Scientists envision experiments, entrepreneurs envision new businesses, and students envision projects before starting them. The ability to envision possibilities is often the first step toward making them real.