To visualize means to form a picture of something in your mind. When you visualize, you're creating mental images of things that aren't right in front of you. You might visualize what your tree house will look like before you build it, or visualize the route you'll take when you ride your bike to a friend's house.

Athletes use visualization as a powerful training tool. A gymnast might visualize her routine dozens of times before competing, imagining each flip and landing perfectly. A basketball player visualizes the ball going through the hoop before taking a free throw. This mental practice can help their bodies perform better when the real moment arrives.

Scientists and mathematicians visualize abstract concepts to understand them better. Einstein visualized riding alongside a beam of light, which helped him develop his theory of relativity. When you're solving a word problem in math, visualizing the situation (picturing those apples being divided among friends, for instance) often makes the solution clearer.

The ability to visualize is useful in everyday life too. Before rearranging your bedroom, you might visualize where the furniture would fit best. When reading a novel, you naturally visualize the characters and settings the author describes. Strong visualization skills help you plan, problem-solve, and bring your ideas to life.