see the forest for the trees

== English == === Alternative forms === see the wood for the trees, see the woods for the trees, see the forest but for the trees (rare) see the forest through the trees, see the trees through the forest (in the negative) miss the forest for the trees, miss the wood for the trees, miss the woods for the trees === Etymology === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) John Heywood documented the English use of the proverb in 1546. === Pronunciation === === Verb === see the forest for the trees (third-person singular simple present sees the forest for the trees, present participle seeing the forest for the trees, simple past saw the forest for the trees, past participle seen the forest for the trees) (idiomatic, chiefly in the negative) To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation. ==== Usage notes ==== This is almost always used in negative constructions, often starting with can't, as it is a negative polarity item. The idea is that the person, having been told something like "Look at the forest over there", is unable to see the forest because there are too many trees blocking the view – without realizing that these individual trees, taken as a collective group, are the forest. ==== Translations ==== === See also === big picture bigger fish to fry bird's-eye view gestalt gist grand scheme not see for looking overview === References ===