flashback

American  

[flash-bak] / ˈflæʃˌbæk /

noun

1. a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.

2. an event or scene so inserted.

3. Also called flashback hallucinosis.  Psychiatry.

   1. the spontaneous recurrence of visual hallucinations or other effects of a drug, as LSD, long after the use of the drug has been discontinued.

   2. recurrent and abnormally vivid recollection of a traumatic experience, as a battle, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations.

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flashback British  

/ ˈflæʃˌbæk /

noun

1. a transition in a novel, film, etc, to an earlier scene or event

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verb

1. (intr, adverb) to return in a novel, film, etc, to a past event

Usage

What does flashback mean? A flashback is a technique in movies, novels, and other narratives in which the present story transitions into a scene from the past.When used as a verb, the term is usually spelled as two words, as in My favorite part of the book is when it flashes back to their childhood. The opposite of a flashback is a flash-forward—when the narrative transitions into a scene from the future.Flashback is also used in psychology to refer to recollections or hallucinations of past events.Example: The flashback scene showed how they got their superpowers.

Etymology

Origin of flashback

1910–15; 1965–70 flashback for def. 3; noun use of verb phrase flash back

Example Sentences

In a series of flashbacks from last week's episodes, Winkleman was seen appointing Fiona, with the contestant responding: "I will do my best to be as treacherous as possible", adding she was "drunk on power".

From BBC

As they watched their lead evaporate, the Falcons had to be having flashbacks to their catastrophic 25-point collapse to New England in the Super Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times

Though different from experiencing war as a child, I know the symptoms all too well: the extreme anxiety, hypervigilance – being constantly on guard against threats - flashbacks, nightmares, and depression.

From BBC

In a flashback, Martini is seen leaving his shabby Potter-owned apartment with a goat and a troop of kids for a suburban tract home that Bailey developed and sold to him.

From Los Angeles Times

But Ella’s family life has always been chaotic, as we see in flashbacks to her teenage years, wherein our narrator describes how Ella experiences seeing other happy families — as a stab in the heart.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hallucination
• memory
• recollection