blindsight: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Academic
Quick answer
What does “blindsight” mean?
The ability of some visually impaired people to detect and respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The ability of some visually impaired people to detect and respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.
A metaphorical term for the ability to understand or perceive something intuitively without conscious awareness or explicit knowledge.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage between British and American English.
Connotations
Neuroscientific term with precise clinical meaning; metaphorical use carries connotations of unconscious intuition.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, confined to specialized fields.
Grammar
How to Use “blindsight” in a Sentence
N + with + blindsightV + blindsightAdj + blindsightVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blindsight” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient appeared to blindsight the moving object, though he claimed to see nothing.
American English
- Researchers study how subjects blindsight stimuli in controlled experiments.
adjective
British English
- The blindsight patient could navigate the corridor despite reporting total darkness.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used
Academic
Used in neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy of mind journals.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Standard term in neuropsychology for specific visual processing phenomenon.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blindsight”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “blindsight”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blindsight”
- Using it as a verb ('He blindsights the object'), confusing it with 'blind spot', using it metaphorically without explanation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a well-documented neuropsychological condition studied since the 1970s.
No, blindsight involves only basic detection of movement, location, or simple shapes, not complex recognition.
No, it is not supernatural; it results from preserved neural pathways that bypass the damaged primary visual cortex.
Rarely, and usually in academic or literary contexts to describe intuitive understanding without conscious reasoning.
The ability of some visually impaired people to detect and respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.
Blindsight is usually technical/academic in register.
Blindsight: in British English it is pronounced /ˈblaɪndsaɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈblaɪndsaɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BLIND people with SIGHT they don't know they have = BLINDSIGHT.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING (but here: UNCONSCIOUS KNOWING IS UNCONSCIOUS SEEING)
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'blindsight' primarily used?