Meanings
plural hindsights
- countableuncountableRealization or understanding of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred.
You know what they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty.
2 more examples
In hindsight, I realize that I should have studied harder for the exam.
Hindsight is more easily acquired than foresight.
1961 March, “Talking of trains”, in Trains Illustrated, page 133Antonyms: foresight
Synonyms & antonyms
nounRealization or understanding of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred.
Origin
From hind + sight, 19th c. Compare Latinate retrospect.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans nawete
- naweteafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Bulgarian прицел
- прицел (pricel)rear sight of a firearm
Czech zpětný pohled
- zpětný pohledafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Danish bagklogskab
- bagklogskabafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Dutch terugblik
- terugblikafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Finnish jälkiviisaus, takatähtäin
- jälkiviisausafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
- takatähtäinrear sight of a firearm
French recul
- reculafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
German Rückblick
- Rückblickafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Italian senno di poi
- senno di poiafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Japanese 後知恵
- 後知恵 (ato jie)after-the-fact realisation or understanding
Norwegian etterpåklokskap
- etterpåklokskapafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Portuguese retrospecto
- retrospectoafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Russian взгля́д в про́шлое, ретроспективный взгляд
- взгля́д в про́шлое (vzgljád v próšloje)after-the-fact realisation or understanding
- ретроспективный взгляд (retrospektivnyj vzgljad)after-the-fact realisation or understanding
- прицел (pricel)rear sight of a firearm
Spanish retrospectiva, perspectiva
- retrospectivaafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
- perspectivaafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
- noción a posterioriafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
- conocimiento a posterioriafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Swedish efterklokhet, facit
- efterklokhetafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
- facitafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Turkish retrospektif
- retrospektifafter-the-fact realisation or understanding
Cite this entry
hindsight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hindsight
“hindsight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hindsight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hindsight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hindsight.
Source: hindsight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.