blind spot

noun

plural blind spots

1

a

: the small circular area at the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball and which is devoid of rods and cones and is not sensitive to light

called also optic disc

see eye illustration

b

: a portion of a field that cannot be seen or inspected with available equipment

2

sometimes offensive : an area in which someone fails to exercise judgment or discrimination see usage paragraph at blind entry 1

Examples of blind spot in a Sentence

When driving on the highway, you need to make sure no one is in your blind spot before changing lanes.

She has a blind spot concerning her son's behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

This creates a fundamental blind spot. —Nia Bowers, USA Today, 15 May 2026

The Hidden Costs Most Leaders Overlook ​ One of the most persistent blind spots in digital health transformation is the true cost of managing data, compliance and risk at scale. —Ethan Pham, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Women’s reproductive health has long been a blind spot in the medical industry, but the group hopes that renaming polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) will help illuminate a better path forward in treating it. —Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 14 May 2026

Another major blind spot Sacks sees among senior-level women workers is not negotiating full compensation packages. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for blind spot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

blind spot

noun

1

a

: a point in the retina through which the optic nerve enters and which does not respond to light

b

: a part of an area that cannot be seen with available equipment

2

: an area of weakness (as in judgment)

Medical Definition

blind spot

noun

: the small circular area in the retina where the optic nerve enters the eye that is devoid of rods and cones and is insensitive to light

called also optic disc