retrospective

adjective ret·ro·spec·tive \ ˌre-trə-ˈspek-tiv \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: retrospective in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of retrospective

1 a (1) : of, relating to, or given to retrospection

(2) : based on memory

a retrospective report

b : being a retrospective

a retrospective exhibition

2 : affecting things past : retroactive

retrospective laws

3 : relating to or being a study (as of a disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and collects data about their past history to explain their present condition

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retrospectively

adverb

See retrospective defined for English-language learners

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retrospective was our Word of the Day on 03/28/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of retrospective in a Sentence

They issued a retrospective report.
a retrospective analysis of what went wrong
The museum is having a retrospective exhibit of the artist's early works.

Recent Examples of retrospective from the Web

Brown’s retrospective opinion based upon tests assessing [Sirhan’s] mental condition forty years after the fact are of negligible weight.

— tom jackman, Washington Post, "The assassination of Bobby Kennedy: Was Sirhan Sirhan hypnotized to be the fall guy?," 4 June 2018
The key date: Nov. 7, 2018, when the issue becomes a prospective choice, not a retrospective justification.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Kellyanne Conway was dead wrong when she tried to play the gender card this weekend," 23 Apr. 2018
Rather, in the TSVF one can gain retrospective knowledge of what happened in a quantum system by selecting the outcome: Instead of simply measuring where a particle ends up, a researcher chooses a particular location in which to look for it.

— philip ball, Scientific American, "Quantum Physics May Be Even Spookier Than You Think," 21 May 2018
The retrospective address, vibrating with eccentric observations and quiet humor, centers on the memory of Bocanegra's grandparents' farm in La Grange, Texas.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the farmhouse next door, and unexpected connections in between," 16 Apr. 2018
Always overproductive, Picasso supercharged his career in 1932, the year his first retrospective exhibition took place and when the first volume of Christian Zervos’s mammoth catalogue raisonné was published.

— jason farago, New York Times, "Picasso in 1932: Ingenious, Exhausting, Relentless," 2 Apr. 2018
Lesson number three demonstrates how — and this is a nifty and crucial aspect of retrospective exhibitions — seemingly unrelated practices appear unified when viewed as an ensemble, from a distance.

— lori waxman, chicagotribune.com, "The diverse, dizzying majesty of Howardena Pindell," 25 Apr. 2018
In 1964, Sonia Delaunay became the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in Paris.

— National Geographic, "Beyond Picasso: 6 Female Artists Who Turned Modern Art On Its Head," 19 Apr. 2018
All those patients had died, but a retrospective analysis showed their suPAR levels eerily correlated with disease progression: Higher levels were associated with an earlier death.

— stephen s. hall, Science | AAAS, "What's your risk of kidney disease, heart attack, or diabetes? A single molecule can tell," 19 Apr. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again, wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1839 novel Hyperion. But these days the past is trendy, old-fashioned is hip, and "flea-market vogue" is not an oxymoron. And of course, "retrospective" is as retro as it gets. A glance at the history of "retrospective" reveals that it traces back to the Latin retro- (meaning "back," "behind," or "backward") and "specere" (meaning "to look at"). Once you have "retrospective" behind you, you can also add its kin "retrospect" (which is used as a noun, an adjective, and a verb) and "retrospection" to your vocabulary, too. "Retrospective" can also be used as a noun, referring to an exhibition that "looks back" at artistic work created over a span of years.

First Known Use of retrospective

1664

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

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retrospective

noun

Definition of retrospective

: a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years; broadly : review 7a

a retrospective of 20th century haute couture

See retrospective defined for English-language learners

Examples of retrospective in a Sentence

The museum is featuring a retrospective of Picasso's early works.

Recent Examples of retrospective from the Web

In February, the Joslyn Art Museum, in Omaha—where Ruscha was born in 1937 and lived before his family moved to Oklahoma in 1941—mounted a sweeping retrospective.

— mark rozzo, Vanities, "Ed Ruscha Still Has Plenty More to Say About America," 30 May 2018
Empty Arena’ retrospective with Jerry Lawler and Terry Funk, and much more.

— justin barrasso, SI.com, "Week in Wrestling: Bully Ray’s Throwback Character; Carmella on Her SmackDown Women’s Title," 16 May 2018
Anthony Hernandez retrospective: The show featuring works by American photographer Anthony Hernandez concludes its months-long run Monday at the Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive.

— chris foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "What to do in Milwaukee New Year's Eve/New Year's Day weekend," 28 Dec. 2017
The museum has put together a retrospective dedicated to the Southern California finish/fetish artist who has explored color, form and minimalism in a career that has spanned more than six decades.

— carolina a. miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: Videos of the female figure, an autobiographical exhibit and paintings of immigrant terrains," 17 May 2018
For a full retrospective of Beyoncé’s Met Gala style evolution, click here.

— peter mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, "Why Did Beyoncé Skip the Met Gala?," 8 May 2018
Fox is scheduled to air a retrospective of Season 6 at 7 p.m. May 15.

— tracy swartz, chicagotribune.com, "Which Chicago-area kid earned a spot in the 'MasterChef Junior' finale?," 4 May 2018
Pink Floyd tribute act perform 45th anniversary retrospective of iconic 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon.

— rasputin todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week in Cincinnati: May 1-6," 30 Apr. 2018
The 89-year-old artist has been enjoying a blowout retrospective that’s been working its way across North America.

— mary louise schumacher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With Kusama Museum and art-filled islands, Japan is a paradise for art nerds," 27 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of retrospective

1929

in the meaning defined above

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RETROSPECTIVE Defined for English Language Learners

retrospective

adjective

Definition of retrospective for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the past or something that happened in the past
: effective from a particular date in the past

retrospective

noun

Definition of retrospective for English Language Learners

: an exhibition of work that an artist has done in the past

Medical Dictionary

retrospective

adjective ret·ro·spec·tive \ -ˈspek-tiv \

medical Definition of retrospective

1 a : of, relating to, or given to introspection

b : relating to or being a study (as of a disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and collects data about their past history to explain their present condition — compare prospective

2 : based on memory

—

retrospectively

adverb

Law Dictionary

retrospective

adjective ret·ro·spec·tive \ ˈre-trə-ˌspek-tiv \

legal Definition of retrospective

: affecting things past : retroactive; specifically : of, relating to, or being a law that takes away or impairs vested rights, creates new duties or obligations, or attaches new disabilities with respect to acts and transactions completed before its enactment

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