hindsight

American  

[hahynd-sahyt] / ˈhaɪndˌsaɪt /

noun

1. recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence.

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hindsight British  

/ ˈhaɪndˌsaɪt /

noun

1. the ability to understand, after something has happened, what should have been done or what caused the event

2. a firearm's rear sight

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Etymology

Origin of hindsight

First recorded in 1850–55; hind ¹ + sight

Example Sentences

But they were important component parts of it, and in hindsight, they told us something important: that women were showing up, online and off, advocating for themselves and each other.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

These fiduciaries are to be judged by the process they use to select investment alternatives, not second-guessed in hindsight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

“In hindsight I would rather we’d never have gone,” Atkinson told me.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

He says the updated supply deal “is obvious in hindsight given the continued and escalating tensions between China and Japan.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Penelope certainly had her own opinion on the subject, but as Agatha Swanburne once said, “Time will tell, but only in hindsight, for time is not talking just yet.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood