perspective 1

From the Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
perspective/pəˈspektɪv/

▶noun

• 1 the art of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to convey the impression of height, width, depth, and relative distance.
  ■ the appearance of viewed objects with regard to their relative position, distance from the viewer, etc.: a trick of perspective.

• 2 a view or prospect.

• 3 a particular way of regarding something.

• 4 understanding of the relative importance of things: we must keep a sense of perspective about what he's done.

• 5 an apparent spatial distribution in perceived sound.

– derivatives
perspectival adjective.

– origin ME (in the sense ‘optics’): from med. L. perspectiva (ars) ‘(science of) optics’, from perspect-, perspicere ‘look at closely’.