hindsight
n. uncountablen. the ability to understand a situation only after it has happened. You use this when you realize what you should have done differently in the past.
n. the ability to understand an event or situation only after its occurrence. Often contrasted with foresight to highlight the clarity gained through retrospective analysis.
In hindsight, I should have taken the train instead of driving.
With the benefit of hindsight, the investors realized they had ignored several warning signs before the market crashed.
While the decision seemed logical at the time, hindsight reveals that the management team failed to account for the rapid shift in consumer preferences.
From hind + sight, 19th c. Compare Latinate retrospect.
Commonly used in the prepositional phrases 'in hindsight' or 'with the benefit of hindsight'.