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
Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Their words of caution were ignored (fortunately, in retrospect), and enterprising experimentalists embarked on a journey that would take nearly half a century, and the construction of three powerful colliders, to bear fruit.
—Mariangela Lisanti, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
At the time, this may have felt like a setback, but in retrospect … Disney dodged a real mortar shell with that one.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for retrospect
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Noun
Details get swapped out, whole scenes implanted, emotions revised in retrospect.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Their words of caution were ignored (fortunately, in retrospect), and enterprising experimentalists embarked on a journey that would take nearly half a century, and the construction of three powerful colliders, to bear fruit.
—Mariangela Lisanti, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But those vibes inside Allianz Field were, in retrospect, the beginning of an end.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
At the time, this may have felt like a setback, but in retrospect … Disney dodged a real mortar shell with that one.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.
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