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
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
Leslie Feinzaig, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2025
In retrospect, Hamas’s decision to stay out of the 2022 confrontation appears to have been a division of labor agreed upon with Islamic Jihad—one that allowed Hamas more freedom to prepare for the October 7 attacks.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
There are a slew of performers who also made appearances on that show that, in retrospect, are a little surprising.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for retrospect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In retrospect, the golden girlboss era peaked right around the time of Audrey Gelman’s 2019 cover photo for Inc., the first to show a visibly pregnant CEO.
—Leslie Feinzaig, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2025
In retrospect, Hamas’s decision to stay out of the 2022 confrontation appears to have been a division of labor agreed upon with Islamic Jihad—one that allowed Hamas more freedom to prepare for the October 7 attacks.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Looked at in retrospect, what an obvious film to greenlight.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
There are a slew of performers who also made appearances on that show that, in retrospect, are a little surprising.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
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 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share