what you see is what you get

phrase

The image corresponds to the reality.

Similar
WYSIWYG
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Meanings

phrase

alternative what-you-see-is-what-you-get

  1. The image corresponds to the reality.

    What you see is what you get. No one's been disappointed yet.

    1970, Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar
    2 more examples

    With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]

    1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii

    Sonic: What you see is what you get! Just a guy that loves adventure! I’m Sonic the Hedgehog!

    2001 June 23, Sonic Team USA, Sonic Adventure 2, Sega, published 2001

    Synonyms: WYSIWYG

  2. idiomaticcomputingThe screen image resembles the printed output.

    For:Word, like Wang's editing system, is an early approach to a what-you-see-is-what-you-get word processor.

    1983, Byte, volume 8, page 86

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseThe image corresponds to the reality.

Similar
WYSIWYG
Also see
dead dovedo exactly what it says on the tin

Origin

Originally a humorous allusion to a catchphrase popularized by the comedian Flip Wilson on American TV in the 1960s.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 所見即所得 /所见即所得
  • 所見即所得 /所见即所得 (suǒjiàn jí suǒdé)(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Finnish WYSIWYG, näet mitä saat
  • WYSIWYG(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
  • näet mitä saat(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
French ce que tu vois est ce que tu obtiens
  • ce que tu vois est ce que tu obtiens(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
German was du siehst, ist was du bekommst
  • was du siehst, ist was du bekommst(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Greek ό,τι βλέπεις, παίρνεις
  • ό,τι βλέπεις, παίρνεις (ó,ti vlépeis, paírneis)(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Japanese 見たままが得られる
  • 見たままが得られる (mita mama ga erareru)(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Polish WYSIWYG
  • WYSIWYG(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Russian что ви́дишь, то и полу́чишь
  • что ви́дишь, то и полу́чишь (što vídišʹ, to i polúčišʹ)(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Spanish lo que ves es lo que obtienes
  • lo que ves es lo que obtienes(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output
Cite this entry
APA

what you see is what you get. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20you%20see%20is%20what%20you%20get

MLA

“what you see is what you get.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20you%20see%20is%20what%20you%20get. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “what you see is what you get,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20you%20see%20is%20what%20you%20get.

Source: what you see is what you get on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.