1
a
: a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded
They studied every aspect of the question.
b(1)
: appearance to the eye or mind
the threatening aspect of the dark sky
(2)
: a particular appearance of the face : mien
… all that's best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes.—
Lord Byron
Lord Byron2
a
: the position of planets or stars with respect to one another held by astrologers to influence human affairs
also
: the apparent position (such as conjunction) of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun
b
: a position facing a particular direction : exposure
a house with a southern aspect
c
: the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current
3
grammar
a
: the nature of the action of a verb as to its beginning, duration, completion, or repetition and without reference to its position in time
b
: a set of inflected (see inflect sense 1) verb forms that indicate aspect
4
archaic
: an act of looking : gaze
Did you know?
Since aspectus in Latin means "looked at", an aspect of something is basically the direction from which it's looked at. So we may say that travel is your favorite aspect of your job, or that eating well is one aspect of a healthy life. If you look at a stage set from the front, it looks completely different than from behind, where all the mechanisms are visible, and both aspects are important. The word can be very useful when you're analyzing something, and it's used a great deal in the writings of scholars.
Examples of aspect in a Sentence
depending on what aspect of college life you consider most important, there are several colleges which might be good for you
he has the aspect of a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed
Recent Examples on the Web
In exchange for their consent, the umps received concessions in other aspects of the deal, according to a person briefed on the details.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
That was one important aspect of his basketball education.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Returning to the decadence of Jay Gatsby's parties has introduced new aspects of the show to Noblezada.
—Carey Purcell, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
While Heritage maintains that there was not a financial aspect to the agreement, the two organizations have held multiple events together since, further ingraining Orban’s brand of nationalism into the American conservative psyche.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aspect
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Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
That was one important aspect of his basketball education.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Returning to the decadence of Jay Gatsby's parties has introduced new aspects of the show to Noblezada.
—Carey Purcell, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
While Heritage maintains that there was not a financial aspect to the agreement, the two organizations have held multiple events together since, further ingraining Orban’s brand of nationalism into the American conservative psyche.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aspect
Cite this Entry
“Aspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspect. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
aspect
noun
as·pect
ˈas-ˌpekt 
1
: the part of an object (as an organ) in a particular position
the medial aspects of the knees—R. H. Nyquist
R. H. Nyquist2
: a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded
the medicolegal aspects of pregnancy—Bulletin of Meharry Medical College
Bulletin of Meharry Medical CollegeLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
