after-action report

noun

af·ter-ac·tion report

: a detailed critical summary or analysis of a past event (such as a military action) made for the purposes of re-assessing decisions and considering possible alternatives for future reference

Prior to leaving Saigon for Honolulu, Harkins had requested and received from Vann a special after-action report on the July 20 engagement.—

Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988

—called also after-action review

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of after-action report was in 1945

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“After-action report.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/after-action%20report. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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