Expert vs. Visionary — What's the Difference?

An expert is somebody who has a broad and deep competence in terms of knowledge, skill and experience through practice and education in a particular field. Informally, an expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely is accorded authority and status by peers or the public in a specific well-distinguished domain.

Defined broadly, a visionary is one who can envision the future. For some groups this can involve the supernatural.

A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

Characterized by vision or foresight.

Having, involving, or demonstrating skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

Having the nature of fantasies or dreams; illusory.

Extraordinarily capable or knowledgeable.

Existing in imagination only; imaginary.

Characteristic of an expert.

Characterized by or given to apparitions, prophecies, or revelations.

(obsolete) Proven, experienced, veteran.

Given to daydreams or reverie; dreamy.

A person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject.

Not practicable or realizable; utopian

(chess) A player ranking just below master.

Tending to envision things in perfect but unrealistic form; idealistic.

Taught by use, practice, or experience, experienced; having facility of operation or performance from practice; knowing and ready from much practice; clever; skillful; as, an expert surgeon; expert in chess or archery.

One who is given to impractical or speculative ideas; a dreamer.

An expert or experienced person; one instructed by experience; one who has skill, experience, or extensive knowledge in his calling or in any special branch of learning.

One who has visions; a seer.

A specialist in a particular profession or department of science requiring for its mastery peculiar culture and erudition.

Having vision or foresight

A sworn appraiser.

Imaginary or illusory

To experience.

Prophetic or revelatory

A person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully

Idealistic or utopian

Having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude;

Someone who has visions; a seer.

An impractical dreamer.

Someone who has positive ideas about the future.

Of or pertaining to a visions or visions; characterized by, appropriate to, or favorable for, visions.

Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination; given to reverie; apt to receive, and act upon, fancies as if they were realities.

Existing in imagination only; not real; fanciful; imaginary; having no solid foundation; as, visionary prospect; a visionary scheme or project.

One whose imagination is disturbed; one who sees visions or phantoms.

One whose imagination overpowers his reason and controls his judgment; an unpractical schemer; one who builds castles in the air; a daydreamer.

A person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible

A person with unusual powers of foresight

Not practical or realizable; speculative;