retrospect

1 of 3

noun

ret·​ro·​spect ˈre-trə-ˌspekt How to pronounce retrospect (audio)
1
: a review of or meditation on past events
2
archaic : reference to or regard of a precedent or authority

retrospect

2 of 3

adjective

retrospect

3 of 3

verb

retrospected; retrospecting; retrospects

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in retrospection
2
: to refer back : reflect

transitive verb

: to go back over in thought
Phrases
in retrospect
: in considering the past or a past event

Examples of retrospect in a Sentence

Noun in retrospect, we should have saved more money for college
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
In retrospect, that Saturday was when the timelines of the two Americas truly began to diverge. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 In retrospect, the GameStop free-for-all may have represented the peak of the easy-money IP boom. Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
But in retrospect Varsity Blues feels like a turning point. Mark Gimein, theweek, 19 Feb. 2024 Yet even if the interdiction on restaurants was, in retrospect, excessive, no one could have known that then. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
In retrospect the unfolding of Watergate in the press and the courts and Congress is our American Oresteia. Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021 See all Example Sentences for retrospect 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from retro- + prospect

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1701, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1659, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrospect was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near retrospect

Cite this Entry

“Retrospect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospect. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

retrospect

noun
ret·​ro·​spect
ˈre-trə-ˌspekt
: a looking back on or a thinking about past events

More from Merriam-Webster on retrospect

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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