in hindsight — understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪn ˈhaɪndsaɪt/
Example Sentences
- In hindsight, buying 100 rolls of toilet paper during the pandemic was actually genius.
- With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the decision was wrong.
- In hindsight, dating my ex's best friend probably wasn't the smartest move.
in hindsight
NOUN[/ɪn ˈhaɪndsaɪt/]
understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed

In hindsight, he should have packed an umbrella before the picnic.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase 'in hindsight' combines 'hind' (Old English, meaning rear or back) and 'sight' (the ability to see). The compound evolved from the literal sense of 'looking backward' to the figurative meaning of viewing or judging past events with the benefit of knowledge gained after they occurred.
Breakdown
hind- (rear, back) + sight (vision, view) = the ability to see or understand something retrospectively, after the fact.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“In hindsight, buying 100 rolls of toilet paper during the pandemic was actually genius.”
“With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the decision was wrong.”
“In hindsight, dating my ex's best friend probably wasn't the smartest move.”
“Hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is often blurry.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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