What does ‘hindsight’ mean?

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How can I use the word?

We can use hindsight as an uncountable and a countable noun. When ‘hindsight’ is used as a countable noun, it refers to the rear side or the back of a gun.

However, the uncountable noun refers to an opportunity for somebody to reflect on past actions and due to the knowledge or wisdom they’ve gained since that time, they can understand or analyze that action better.

For example, sometimes students in high school or college don’t see the importance of getting good grades or doing extracurricular activities like volunteer work or joining societies. They would rather hang out with their friends than sitting in the library preparing for finals.

However, once they’ve finished their studies and are applying for their first job, they realize how good grades or extracurricular activities could help them stand out from other applicants.

In hindsight, a young adult, fresh out of college and competing for jobs may wish he/she had worked harder in school. From their gained knowledge and experience, they see why their teachers and parents were encouraging them to focus on their studies. 

 

Here are some examples of the noun being used:

  • The owners of the restaurant that was closed down due to health and safety issues, with hindsight understand that they should have paid more attention to the warnings made by the inspector.
  • With hindsight, the house owners realize that they should have installed a security alarm in their house. Unfortunately, they only realized this after their house was burgled.

 

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