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
Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
That never happened — and almost nothing at the tournament went as planned, except maybe the ultimate results, in retrospect.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
In retrospect, those were the days.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for retrospect
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Noun
His ample thoughts on the matter are informed by a lifetime spent in conscious retrospect on his accomplishments and how the perception of his relationship with them is shared publicly.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
That never happened — and almost nothing at the tournament went as planned, except maybe the ultimate results, in retrospect.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
If there is a 2025 championship story to be told in retrospect, the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies might play the same role as the NLDS triumph over the Padres – this might prove to be the Dodgers’ biggest hurdle on the road to repeating as World Series champions.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
In retrospect, those were the days.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 10 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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