Definition

Noun: 1. Normal visual acuity: The standard measurement for normal clarity or sharpness of vision when viewing an object from a distance of 20 feet. A person with 20/20 vision can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision should be able to see at that distance. 2. Perfect hindsight: Used figuratively to describe the perfect understanding of a situation or event after it has happened, implying that the correct course of action is obvious only in retrospect.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Visual Acuity):
  • The optometrist confirmed that I still have 20/20 vision.
  • Not everyone is born with 20/20; some people require glasses to achieve it.
• Noun (Figurative: Hindsight):
  • It's easy to say we should have sold the stock then, but that's 20/20 hindsight.
  • With 20/20 hindsight, I realize my mistake.

Advanced Usage

• "20/20 vision": The full and most common phrase for the medical term.
  • Her 20/20 vision made her an excellent candidate for the pilot program.
• "Hindsight is 20/20": A common idiom stating that understanding past events is clear and obvious only after they have occurred.
  • Of course the solution seems simple now—hindsight is 20/20.

Variants and Related Words

• 20/20 hindsight (noun phrase): The clear understanding of an event only after it has happened.
• Visual acuity (noun): The technical term for the clarity of vision, which 20/20 measures.
• Hindsight (noun): Understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened.

Synonyms

• Perfect vision (for the visual meaning).
• Retrospective clarity (for the figurative meaning).

Related Idioms

• Hindsight is 20/20: The standard idiom encapsulating the figurative meaning.
  • I know you regret not taking the job, but remember, hindsight is 20/20.

Noun

1. normal visual acuity, as measured by the ability to read charts at a distance of 20 feet