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visa

Etymology and origin of the English word visa

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1831
Borrowed from
French visa
Ultimate origin
Latin (video)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈviː.zə/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French visa,[2][3][4] from Latin carta vīsa, verified paper, literally paper that has been seen,[2][3] from the feminine (or neuter plural) past participle of vidēre (“to see”),[2][5][4] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *weid- (“to see”) (see wit).[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

An official endorsement on a passport: 1831.[2][6][3]

Semantic evolution

It displaced the earlier French visé (1810), from viser, to examine.[3][2][6] The verb, to endorse with a visa, is from 1847.[2][6] The Visa credit card dates from 1976, replacing BankAmericard.[3][6]

Timeline

  • 1810 – visé.[2]
  • 1831 – visa.[2]
  • 1847 – the verb.[6]
  • 1976 – the credit card.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An official endorsement in a passport permitting entry to and travel in a country.

Verb

  1. To endorse a passport with a visa, or to give a visa to.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Visa.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/visa. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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