Translation guide
Describes a person with original, far-reaching ideas about the future, or something characterized by such foresight. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through nouns and adjectives that emphasize foresight, imagination, and the ability to see beyond the present.
Referring to someone who has innovative and forward-thinking ideas, often in business, technology, or social change.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'a person with foresight'. It is a natural way to describe someone who can anticipate future trends.
彼は先見の明がある人だ。
He is a visionary.
A loanword from English, used in business and tech contexts to describe a visionary leader. It carries a modern, slightly formal nuance.
彼はテクノロジー業界のビジョナリーとして知られている。
He is known as a visionary in the tech industry.
Literally 'dreamer', this can imply a visionary but often carries a nuance of being impractical or idealistic. Use with caution.
May sound negative, implying lack of realism.
彼は夢想家だが、そのアイデアは時に現実的ではない。
He is a visionary, but his ideas are sometimes not practical.
Describing plans, ideas, projects, or leadership that are innovative and forward-looking.
An adjective phrase meaning 'having foresight'. It is commonly used to describe visionary plans or leadership.
その計画は先見性のあるものだ。
That plan is visionary.
A na-adjective meaning 'forward-looking' or 'visionary'. Slightly more formal than 先見性のある.
彼の先見的なリーダーシップが会社を救った。
His visionary leadership saved the company.
Means 'future-oriented'. It is a more general term that can be used for visionary approaches, but lacks the nuance of originality.
未来志向の戦略が必要だ。
We need a visionary strategy.
Referring to someone who claims to see visions of the future or the divine, often in a religious or mystical context.
A formal term for a person who sees visions, often used in religious or psychological contexts. Rare in everyday conversation.
彼は幻視者として崇められていた。
He was revered as a visionary.
Means 'prophet' or 'seer'. It implies predicting the future through divine inspiration, which overlaps with the visionary sense but is more specific.
その予言者は未来を見通す力があると言われている。
The visionary is said to have the power to foresee the future.
先見の明がある人 is a natural Japanese phrase suitable for most contexts, while ビジョナリー is a loanword often used in business or tech to sound modern and international. Use 先見の明がある人 for general descriptions and ビジョナリー when emphasizing a role model or leader in innovative fields.
スティーブ・ジョブズは先見の明がある人だった。
Steve Jobs was a visionary.
スティーブ・ジョブズはビジョナリーとして尊敬されている。
Steve Jobs is respected as a visionary.
空想家 (くうそうか) means 'fantasist' or 'daydreamer' and often implies someone disconnected from reality. It is not a suitable translation for the positive sense of 'visionary'.
彼は空想家で、現実的な計画を立てられない。
He is a fantasist and cannot make realistic plans.
彼女は先見性のあるリーダーだ。
She is a visionary leader.
彼の先見的なアイデアが業界を変えた。
His visionary ideas changed the industry.