retrospect

American  

[re-truh-spekt] / ˈrɛ trəˌspɛkt /

noun

1. contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc.

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verb (used without object)

1. to look back in thought; refer back (often followed byto ).

   to retrospect to a period in one's youth.

verb (used with object)

1. to look back upon; contemplate retrospectively.

idioms

1. in retrospect, in looking back on past events; upon reflection.

   It was, in retrospect, the happiest day of her life.

retrospect British  

/ ˈrɛtrəʊˌspɛkt /

noun

1. the act of surveying things past (often in the phrase in retrospect )

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verb

1. to contemplate (anything past); look back on (something)

2. to refer

Etymology

Origin of retrospect

1595–1605; probably retro- + (pro)spect

Example Sentences

In retrospect, those difficult weeks offered a preview of what would happen in Minneapolis just a few weeks later.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

In retrospect, some of the signs that could or should have been red flags were that even during a downmarket, his investments still supposedly brought in a healthy return and they were miraculously consistent.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

"Please consult camera footage, journal notes, text messages, observations or conversations that in retrospect may hold significance. No detail is too small. It may be the key."

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

“In retrospect, the presence and credibility of such venerable people in different orbits led me to make assumptions about him that clouded my judgment in ways it shouldn’t have.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

In retrospect, Franklin’s final gesture at leadership served to solidify his historic reputation as a man who possessed in his bones a feeling for the future.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• hindsight