hindsight

noun

hind·​sight ˈhīn(d)-ˌsīt 

: perception of the nature of an event after it has happened

In hindsight, it's clear there were alternatives.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

Examples of hindsight in a Sentence

It's easy for us to say that the war was wrong, but we have the advantage of hindsight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Involved officers reasonably perceived an imminent threat of serious physical harm or death, and their actions were objectively reasonable based upon the facts and circumstances confronting them at the time, evaluated without the benefit of hindsight, according to the news release. —Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026

The opportunity to go back through a set of decisions and look hard at them with the benefit of hindsight, and then make judgments about where the party, where the country should go from here on these issues. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026

The irony, from the vantage of hindsight, is that Malinin’s inexperience cost him a spot in the 2022 Beijing Games and also an individual gold in 2026. —Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

General Daily Insight for January 30, 2026 Unexpected events will probably make more sense in hindsight. —Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hindsight

• twenty-twenty hindsight

Rhymes for hindsight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

hindsight

noun

hind·​sight ˈhīn(d)-ˌsīt 

: realization of the meaning or importance of an event only after it has happened