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 in retrospect
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
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2026
The flaws in this system were obvious enough, at least in retrospect.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The current hearing largely focuses on one paragraph in the 2022 settlement that defines — in retrospect, poorly — seven metrics of progress the city must report to the court quarterly.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
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Noun
Is Til the Casket Drops kinda underrated in retrospect?
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2026
The flaws in this system were obvious enough, at least in retrospect.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In retrospect, the fact Gonzalez didn’t allow a catch last week made him as central to the Patriots’ blitzing success as any pass rusher.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The current hearing largely focuses on one paragraph in the 2022 settlement that defines — in retrospect, poorly — seven metrics of progress the city must report to the court quarterly.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 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 27 Jan. 2026.
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