retrospective determinism

noun

A fallacy consisting in reasoning that because something happened, it was therefore bound to happen.

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Meanings

nounretrospective determinism (usually uncountable, plural retrospective determinisms)

plural retrospective determinisms

  1. uncountableusuallyhuman sciencesA fallacy consisting in reasoning that because something happened, it was therefore bound to happen.
Cite this entry
APA

retrospective determinism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective%20determinism

MLA

“retrospective determinism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective%20determinism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retrospective determinism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective%20determinism.

Source: retrospective determinism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.