Outlook

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈaʊtˌlʊk/

Definitions

1. A person's perspective or attitude toward life or a particular situation, or a forecast of future conditions
2. One's viewpoint or mental attitude regarding life experiences and circumstances, as well as a prediction concerning upcoming events or trends
3. The way in which someone perceives their life and current events, along with an estimation of what the future holds in terms of development

Etymology: "Outlook" is a compound of "out" and "look," and its history is plain: the first element is the same "out" that appears in words like "outdoor" and "outward," while "look" traces back through Old English "lōcian" to a Proto-West Germanic root. The noun was formed by joining the two, and its original sense was simply a physical act of looking outward, or a view from a particular place. The figurative sense, a way of viewing life and the likely course of events, developed from that literal view. Just as a window offers a view of what lies beyond it, a person's outlook became a way of seeing what lay ahead. Modern usage has kept both threads, from a scenic prospect to a mental stance toward the future. The word may also have been influenced by a similar expression in Chinese, 外表 (literally "outside surface"), and by English "look" in the sense of appearance, though this is only a possibility.

Synonyms: perspective, viewpoint, attitude, expectation, forecast

Antonyms: pessimism, negativity