ret·ro·spect
ˈre-trə-ˌspekt 
1
: a review of or meditation on past events
2
archaic
: reference to or regard of a precedent or authority
see also:
retrospected; retrospecting; retrospects
: to go back over in thought
Examples of retrospect in a Sentence
Noun
in retrospect, we should have saved more money for college
Recent Examples on the Web
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
In retrospect, of course, Billy is behind the Ghostface mask (half the time, at least).
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
In retrospect, my earnest lessons seem very theoretical, very quaint.
—Sayantani Dasgupta
february 24, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for retrospect
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Noun
Forever, but in retrospect no more than twenty minutes.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
In retrospect, of course, Billy is behind the Ghostface mask (half the time, at least).
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Dollander, in retrospect, wasn’t ready last season.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
In retrospect, my earnest lessons seem very theoretical, very quaint.
—Sayantani Dasgupta
february 24, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Retrospect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospect. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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