afterimage

noun

af·​ter·​im·​age ˈaf-tər-ˌi-mij 

plural afterimages

1

: a usually visual sensation occurring after stimulation by its external cause has ceased

2

: a lasting memory or mental image of something

The problem with the heros of myths is that, although they were once a reality or rooted in one, they rarely matched their lovely afterimage.

—Irvin Faust

Examples of afterimage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The afterimage of any one scene lasts in the human visual system for fractions of a second, Banna says. —Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

In addition to reversing the color of an image, afterimages can convince your brain that an object has changed in shape or size. —Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2024

But then the mystery more or less fades from view, to be replaced by another that comes and goes in a flash but lingers like an afterimage. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024

But the virtuosity of its filmmaking is remarkable, and some of the shots that Ân composed (with the help of his cinematographer, Đinh Duy Hưng) have lingered with me like persistent afterimages. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

after- + image entry 1

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

afterimage

noun

af·​ter·​im·​age -ˌim-ij 

: a usually visual sensation continuing after the stimulus causing it has ended

Medical Definition

afterimage

noun

af·​ter·​im·​age -ˌrim-ij 

: a usually visual sensation occurring after stimulation by its external cause has ceased

called also aftersensation, aftervision