retrospection

noun

ret·​ro·​spec·​tion ˌre-trə-ˈspek-shən How to pronounce retrospection (audio)
: the act or process or an instance of surveying the past

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 By contrast, retrospection has played a blessedly small part in the emotional legend of Ethan Hunt. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023 But Shepherd, who’ll play at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on July 19 before returning to the Mobile Saenger Theatre on July 20, has at least reached a point in his career where some retrospection is natural. Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 11 July 2023 The land stands to remain vacant with room only for their retrospection if the historical designation stays. Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 14 June 2023 That’s not just rosy-eyed retrospection. Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 So Hilton got to work on her memoir, an endeavor that required a lot of retrospection. André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2023 The Von Erichs, whose influence on wrestling extends from the 1960s to the present day, have been the subject of retrospection for years, but this is the first time their narrative has come to a feature film. Dallas News, 21 June 2022 Still, retrospection has a way of making such moments even brighter and shinier, and Jena Romanticism survived in the continuing influence of the thinkers who briefly lived there. Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2022 Executive game filming leverages mental retrospection in the same way athletes adjust their performance after watching themselves on video. John Rex, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retrospection.' 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

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrospection was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near retrospection

Cite this Entry

“Retrospection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospection. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

retrospection

noun
ret·​ro·​spec·​tion ˌre-trə-ˈspek-shən How to pronounce retrospection (audio)
1
: the act or power of recalling the past
2

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