rearview mirror

American

[reer-vyoo] / ˈrɪərˌvju /

noun

a mirror mounted on the side, windshield, or instrument panel of an automobile or other vehicle to provide the driver with a view of the area behind the vehicle.

Etymology

Origin of rearview mirror

First recorded in 1925–30; rear ¹ + view

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The point of no return is already in the rearview mirror, and the road ahead is flanked by pain.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026

In 1961, when World War II was in the rearview mirror, Britain applied to join what’s now called the European Union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

To assume that future returns will be high because recent returns have been high would be like driving a car down the road while looking only in the rearview mirror.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Just as new drivers learn to use a rearview mirror to track other vehicles, "Octopuses can also learn how to use a mirror to infer where things are in the world."

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

Aunt Pooh glares at me in the rearview mirror.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023