Definition
A vision condition in which distant objects are seen clearly but nearby objects appear blurred, caused by light focusing behind the retina rather than directly on it. Also called hyperopia.
Plain English
A vision problem where you can see things far away clearly, but things up close look fuzzy.
Context Anchor
Seen in night vision and medical fitness discussions when considering how well a pilot can read cockpit instruments, charts, and checklists.
Derivation
Plain English -- 'far' (distant) plus 'sightedness' (the way one sees). The medical term hyperopia comes from Greek 'hyper' (over, beyond) and 'ops' (eye), meaning the eye reaches beyond close objects to see clearly.
Why Pilots Care
Uncorrected farsightedness slows instrument reading and increases eye strain at night when central vision is already limited.
Intuition Check
Farsightedness does not mean unusually good long-distance vision. It means close-up vision is the part that may be unclear.
Example Sentence 1
Because he was farsighted, the pilot kept reading glasses clipped to his kneeboard for chart and checklist work.
Example Sentence 2
Farsightedness delayed the pilot's recognition of nearby terrain features on the sectional chart under red cockpit lighting.