twenty-twenty

adjective

twen·​ty-twen·​ty ˈtwen-tē-ˈtwen-tē How to pronounce twenty-twenty (audio)
ˈtwən-tē-ˈtwən-tē
variants or 20/20
1
of the human eye : meeting a standard of normal visual acuity
twenty-twenty vision
2
: marked by facilely accurate discernment, judgment, or assessment
hindsight is twenty-twenty

Word History

Etymology

from the testing of vision by reading letters at a distance of 20 feet

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twenty-twenty was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near twenty-twenty

Cite this Entry

“Twenty-twenty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twenty-twenty. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

twenty-twenty

adjective
twen·​ty-twen·​ty
ˌtwent-ē-ˈtwent-ē
: having normal visual sharpness
often written 20/20

Medical Definition

twenty-twenty

adjective
twen·​ty-twen·​ty
variants or 20/20
: having the normal visual acuity of the human eye that according to one common scale can distinguish at a distance of 20 feet characters one-third inch in diameter
twenty-twenty vision
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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