flashback
Americannoun
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a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.
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an event or scene so inserted.
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Also called flashback hallucinosis. Psychiatry.
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the spontaneous recurrence of visual hallucinations or other effects of a drug, as LSD, long after the use of the drug has been discontinued.
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recurrent and abnormally vivid recollection of a traumatic experience, as a battle, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations.
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noun
verb
Usage
What does flashback mean? A flashback is a technique in movies, novels, and other narratives in which the present story transitions into a scene from the past.When used as a verb, the term is usually spelled as two words, as in My favorite part of the book is when it flashes back to their childhood. The opposite of a flashback is a flash-forward—when the narrative transitions into a scene from the future.Flashback is also used in psychology to refer to recollections or hallucinations of past events.Example: The flashback scene showed how they got their superpowers.
Etymology
Origin of flashback
1910–15; 1965–70 flashback for def. 3; noun use of verb phrase flash back
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He pitched the opening sequence — a flashback showing Kayce in the battlefield.
From Los Angeles Times
Something here at the World Cup feels more like a flashback to the times of old.
From BBC
Events are seen through Jack’s fractured perspective as he experiences flashbacks of his wartime service and memories of his dead wife and daughter.
Khaleela said she had flashbacks to the night of Aman's death and suffers from panic attacks as a result of what has happened.
From BBC
As the film gets rolling, via flashbacks, it rolls right off the tracks.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
