retrospective

1 of 2

adjective

ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˌre-trə-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
1
a(1)
: of, relating to, or given to retrospection
(2)
: based on memory
a retrospective report
b
: being a retrospective
a retrospective exhibition
2
: affecting things past : retroactive
retrospective laws
3
: relating to or being a study (as of a disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and collects data about their past history to explain their present condition
retrospectively adverb

retrospective

2 of 2

noun

: a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years
broadly : review sense 7a
a retrospective of 20th century haute couture

Did you know?

At the end of the year, both introspection and retrospection are common. While introspection involves looking inward and taking stock of oneself, retrospection is all about recollecting and contemplating things that happened in the past. A look back at the history of the related adjective retrospective reveals that it retains a strong connection to its past; its Latin source is retrospicere, meaning “to look back at.” Retrospective can also be used as a noun referring to an exhibition that “looks back” at an artist’s work created over a span of years. Once you have retrospective and retrospection behind you, you can also add their kin retrospect and retro to your vocabulary, too.

Examples of retrospective in a Sentence

Adjective They issued a retrospective report. a retrospective analysis of what went wrong The museum is having a retrospective exhibit of the artist's early works. Noun The museum is featuring a retrospective of Picasso's early works.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Madonna is currently in the midst of her retrospective Celebration Tour, which kicked off last year in Europe before coming Stateside. Oliver Gettell, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2024 In November 2023, Behar announced the upcoming release of a new retrospective book. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 This retrospective aspect of the show clearly pleased many in the crowd at Chase Center. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Experts described the law's overall effect to the state as negligible in a retrospective article in The Arizona Republic three years ago. The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 The researchers find that by retrospective reporting, fewer than 17 percent of participants met clinical diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria in childhood. Ian Kingsbury, National Review, 9 Jan. 2024 Cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse is launching Alamo Time Capsules, a retrospective film series, to kick off the new year. Valerie Wu, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024 Of the 1968 Sketchpad GUI design, Sutherland once again remembered his interactions with Wesley Clark, and expressed some retrospective realizations. John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Decisions have shifted from an annual retrospective reporting capability to a dynamic prospective decision intelligence approach, linking strategic choices with operational decisions and seeking to enhance our feedback loop. Paul Hudson, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
At a retrospective of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in London, where the American expatriate fled after creating a scandal in Paris, clothes offer both armor and self-expression. Nina Siegal, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 After serving as the cover athlete for the Legends Edition of MLB The Show 23, New York Yankees great Derek Jeter will have his own interactive career retrospective in MLB The Show 24. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Her multidisciplinary path will be explored in a traveling retrospective, the first in over 20 years to highlight her oeuvre, kicking off with roughly 200 works at the Noguchi Museum in Queens, a fitting starting point considering Takaezu and sculptor Isamu Noguchi were close friends. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 This major retrospective, which opened in Montreal and will also travel to Buffalo and Dallas, reveals the psychological depth and compassion beneath Marisol’s cool and witty veneer. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 One afternoon my sister and I saw a retrospective for Sarah Lucas, the contemporary British artist renowned for her commentaries on gender, death, and sexuality. Hazlitt, 14 Feb. 2024 These pieces highlight a career-spanning retrospective of a groundbreaking composer, one whose music embodies the collision between the overwhelming sounds of the Bolivian mountains and the modern cities that thrive beside them. Javier Rodríguez-Camacho, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 In a conversation that touched on all three plays, Shanley revealed that the accidental retrospective isn’t the only reason his life has been flashing before his eyes recently. Darryn King, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 At Jean-Kenta Gauthier gallery, in Paris, a recent three-part series of exhibitions amounted to something like a retrospective. Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retrospective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrospective was in 1664

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Dictionary Entries Near retrospective

Cite this Entry

“Retrospective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospective. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

retrospective

1 of 2 adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˌre-trə-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
: of, relating to, or given to retrospection
retrospectively adverb

retrospective

2 of 2 noun
: an exhibition, compilation, or performance of work that an artist has done in the past

Medical Definition

retrospective

adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive -ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or given to introspection
b
: relating to or being a study (as of a disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and collects data about their past history to explain their present condition compare prospective
2
: based on memory
retrospectively adverb

Legal Definition

retrospective

adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˈre-trə-ˌspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
: affecting things past : retroactive
specifically : of, relating to, or being a law that takes away or impairs vested rights, creates new duties or obligations, or attaches new disabilities with respect to acts and transactions completed before its enactment
retrospectively adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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