Word.ws English Dictionary

it is easy to be wise after the event

it is easy to be wise after the event proverb: after one has seen the consequences of a decision, it is easy to tell whether or not the decision was favorable, but it is also too late, since the consequences have already occurred.

Proverb

it is easy to be wise after the event

  1. After one has seen the consequences of a decision, it is easy to tell whether or not the decision was favorable, but it is also too late, since the consequences have already occurred.
    • Tuchel may wonder whether he should have kept the unbeatable Mendy on for penalties after his heroic performance but it is easy to be wise after the event and Kepa has proved his quality from penalties in the past.2022 February 27, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport

Questions about it is easy to be wise after the event

What does it is easy to be wise after the event mean?
It is easy to be wise after the event means after one has seen the consequences of a decision, it is easy to tell whether or not the decision was favorable, but it is also too late, since the consequences have already occurred.
What part of speech is it is easy to be wise after the event?
It is easy to be wise after the event is a proverb.

Words near it is easy to be wise after the event in the dictionary

  1. it is as it is
  2. it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
  3. it is darkest before the dawn
  4. it is darkest just before the dawn
  5. it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God
  6. it is easy to be wise after the event
  7. it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog
  8. it is how it is
  9. it is no accident
  10. it is not even funny
  11. it is not every day

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: it is easy to be wise after the event (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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