Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Perception of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred.
  • noun The rear sight of a firearm.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Backward sight or perception; knowledge or comprehension of what is past; afterthought: humorously opposed to foresight.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun understanding the nature of an event after it has happened.
  • noun Perfect understanding of an event after it has happened; -- a term usually used with sarcasm in response to criticism of one's decision, implying that the critic is unfairly judging the wisdom of the decision in light of information that was not available when the decision was made.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Realisation or understanding of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred
  • noun The rear sight of a firearm

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun understanding the nature of an event after it has happened

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From hind +‎ sight

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Examples

  • Regarding the underlying issue, I would say that Carter in hindsight is fairly middling.

    Matthew Yglesias » Jimmy Carter 2010

  • The part that amazed me most, in hindsight, is just how wildly vocal and open he was about it.

    Page 3 2009

  • Saddened by the law-breakers, but giddy with happiness with the additional 2-10 million dollars this will generate, Police commissioner Julien Fantino had this to say: "The only regret I have now, in hindsight, is that I didn't go after 30 over [the limit] as opposed to 50 over."

    Archive 2007-10-01 2007

  • Only in hindsight is it evident that they were deterrable.

    Containing Iran 2006

  • Only in hindsight is it evident that they were deterrable.

    Containing Iran 2006

  • Still, the committee had had earlier opportunities to honor the man who, in hindsight, is generally seen as the leading spokesman of non-violence in the 20th century.

    The Nobel Peace Prize 1901-2000 2001

  • If this is the case then what harm could be done except to aknowledge that in "hindsight" the position should be in place, which if I heard right, has already been done, and that should be the end of that!

    WH: Social secretary will not testify before Congress 2009

  • Petitioner himself addressed the court and stated that in "hindsight," he should not have used "that choice of words" and that he had not intended to be disruptive.

    First Department 2006

  • Still, it would be interesting if some senator, just to get her off script, were to ask her if in hindsight she sees things any differently.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » The Self-Pity of Elena Kagan 2010

  • Saying they should have done x, y and z with the benefit of hindsight is fine.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Waco 2010

Comments

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  • see comments at hindsighting

    April 23, 2014