in retrospect

Idioms  

1. Looking backward, reflecting on the past. For example, In retrospect, he regarded his move as the best thing he'd ever done. This idiom employs retrospect in the sense of “a view of the past.” [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in retrospect

Was it an insensitive thing to say, in retrospect?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Only in retrospect could she see that the permanence she mourned had never been fixed; it was a world her parents had continually worked to hold in place.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Overuse of today’s AI models isn’t going to lead to a massive plume of radioactive fallout, but it could have a number of far-reaching consequences that will seem obvious in retrospect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

They called it the “Attitude Era,” and in retrospect it represented the absolute apotheosis of pre-millennium x-treme marketing.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

How does the book look in retrospect, and what has happened to change or extend its conclusions since its publication?

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond