Visualization means creating a picture or image in your mind. When you visualize something, you imagine what it looks like, even though you're not actually seeing it with your eyes.

Athletes use visualization to improve their performance. A gymnast might visualize herself completing a perfect routine before she even steps onto the mat, imagining each twist and landing. A basketball player might visualize the ball going through the hoop before taking a free throw. By seeing success in their minds first, they train their brains and bodies to make it happen in real life.

Visualization works for more than just sports. If you're nervous about giving a presentation, you might visualize yourself speaking confidently in front of the class. When studying for a test, you might visualize the page in your textbook to help remember what was written there. Scientists use visualization too: they create computer models and images to understand things too small to see (like molecules) or too vast to photograph (like the structure of the universe).

The word can also refer to charts, graphs, and diagrams that turn numbers and data into pictures. A data visualization might show rainfall patterns as a colorful map instead of a long list of measurements, making the information easier to understand at a glance.