Idiom idiom
hindsight is 20/20
Meaning
In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I made a mistake, but hindsight is 20/20.”
“I should have invested in that company earlier, but hindsight is 20/20.”
“While we regret the decision now, we must remember that hindsight is 20/20 and we lacked the necessary information at the time.”
Origin
From the term 20/20 referring to normal visual acuity.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026