retrospection

ret·ro·spec·tion | \ ˌre-trə-ˈspek-shən

How to pronounce retrospection (audio)

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Definition of retrospection

: the act or process or an instance of surveying the past

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Examples of retrospection in a Sentence

This is a time of retrospection for many people. the president is confident that future retrospections will cast his actions in a more favorable light

Recent Examples on the Web Considering the full, bloody scope of some of his greatest works, The Irishman is a work of real retrospection. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Martin Scorsese’s Epic Funeral for the Gangster Genre," 1 Nov. 2019 The line brings us back to the book’s center, a space of retrospection. — Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, "Joy Harjo, the Poet of American Memory," 29 Aug. 2019 Now 70, Russo clearly knows the pleasures and perils of retrospection, and he's constructed a novel about the way the past constantly bleeds into the present. — Ron Charles, Dallas News, "In Richard Russo's 'Chances Are...,' a charming reunion unearths a chilling disappearance," 30 July 2019 That period of self-analysis and musical retrospection came to an end in December, when Springsteen on Broadway closed and became a Netflix special. — Dan Deluca, https://www.inquirer.com, "Bruce Springsteen tries out a new sound, under the ‘Western Stars’," 6 June 2019 The plot of Solo depends heavily on how valuable natural resources can be and how those in power can monopolize (and potentially deplete) them, but retrospection on those facts or sequences exploring the consequences barely comes up. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Solo film review: Best when it embraces its favorite action-movie urges," 24 May 2018 This year marks the 75th anniversary — a time of remembrance and retrospection as the veterans of that war depart us and our national memory fades. — Nancy Lord, Alaska Dispatch News, "Remembering a Garfield classic, ‘Thousand-Mile War’," 9 Sep. 2017 With the benefit of retrospection, Lundgren recalled experiencing a considerable range of emotions on his way back to being 100 percent. — Steve Reaven, chicagotribune.com, "Buffalo Grove's John Lundgren pitches his way past two knee injuries," 28 May 2017 Yet even his approach to retrospection feels groundbreaking. — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, "John Cale’s Inventive Retrospection," 30 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retrospection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near retrospection

retrospective rate

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Last Updated

2 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Retrospection.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospection. Accessed 14 December 2019.

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