hindsight Hear it!

hindsight Definition

hind·sight (hīndsīt′)

noun

  1. the rear sight of a firearm
  2. ability to see, after the event, what should have been done

hindsight Usage Examples

Preposition: that

  • story: Remember, it is often only in hindsight that a story can be told with a better understanding of all the contributing factors.

Converse of object

  • believe: In hindsight I believe hindsight is the most useless thing ever.
  • use: The Revenue will not use hindsight to challenge that view.
  • have: None of us know the full story and we can all have 20 20 hindsight.
  • know: But, you know, hindsight and all that.
  • give: Like most bugs, it is totally understandable and - given hindsight - totally predictable.

Adjective modifier

  • historical: Of course I have the benefit of historical hindsight.
  • perfect: We can look back at David's bravery and victory with the perfect hindsight.

Modifies a noun

  • bias: Crucially, this hindsight bias was twice the size in the participants who saw the animation than in the participants who were shown diagrams.
  • thing: I really don't see the problem. In hindsight things could have gone better.
  • show: Drainage problems that hindsight shows, even we amateurs, drains have to be improved when you build more houses higher up the hill.

Noun used with modifier

  • year: As we know with 10-15 years hindsight, this never happened, but the composite spring was a central part of this strategy.

Preposition: of

  • course: In hindsight of course I realized he knew exactly what he was doing and what I was going through.
  • year: All good clean fun, and interesting reading with the hindsight of 60 years of automotive development.
hindsight Quotes

Traditional scientific method has always been at the very best, 20-20 hindsight. It's good for seeing where you've been.It'sgood for testing thetruth of what youthink you know, but it can't tell you where you ought to go.

—Pirsig, Robert M(aynard)

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.

—Wilder, Billy (Samuel)

Although we sought to do the right thingöand believed we were doing the right thingöin my judgement, hindsight proves us wrong.

—McNamara, Robert Strange

Browse dictionary entries near hindsight

  1. hindshank
  2. hindrance
  3. hindquarter
  4. Hindoo
  5. hindmost
  6. Hindi
  7. hindgut
  8. hinder
  9. Hindenburg
  10. Hindemith
  1. Hindu
  2. Hindu-Arabic numerals
  3. Hindu Kush
  4. Hinduism
  5. Hindustan
  6. Hindustani
  7. Hines
  8. hinge
  9. hinge joint
  10. hinged