retrospective

1 of 2

adjective

ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˌre-trə-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
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
retrospectively adverb

retrospective

2 of 2

noun

: a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years
broadly : review sense 7a
a retrospective of 20th century haute couture

Did you know?

At the end of the year, both introspection and retrospection are common. While introspection involves looking inward and taking stock of oneself, retrospection is all about recollecting and contemplating things that happened in the past. A look back at the history of the related adjective retrospective reveals that it retains a strong connection to its past; its Latin source is retrospicere, meaning “to look back at.” Retrospective can also be used as a noun referring to an exhibition that “looks back” at an artist’s work created over a span of years. Once you have retrospective and retrospection behind you, you can also add their kin retrospect and retro to your vocabulary, too.

Examples of retrospective in a Sentence

Adjective 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. Noun The museum is featuring a retrospective of Picasso's early works.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Meanwhile, Greer’s nine-month road trip for The Greatest Adventure Tour will continue through 2025, not only resulting in dogs finding their forever homes, but also a YouTube series highlighting some of the dogs helped as well as a retrospective book featuring stories from the trip. Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024 That will probably be the case for the retrospective dedicated to one of Mexico’s first filmmakers, the relatively unknown Matilde Landeta, as part of the fest’s Permanent History of Women Filmmakers section. Lise Pedersen, Variety, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
Your retrospective from 2012, which appeared at the Hammer Museum and the New Museum, seemed very dark at the time, in its references to America. Sarah Douglas, ARTnews.com, 31 Oct. 2024 Panh recently travelled to tour a retrospective of his films at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and the BAM Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley, California. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for retrospective 

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

Adjective

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrospective was in 1664

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near retrospective

Cite this Entry

“Retrospective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrospective. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

retrospective

1 of 2 adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˌre-trə-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
: of, relating to, or given to retrospection
retrospectively adverb

retrospective

2 of 2 noun
: an exhibition, compilation, or performance of work that an artist has done in the past

Medical Definition

retrospective

adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive -ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
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

Legal Definition

retrospective

adjective
ret·​ro·​spec·​tive ˈre-trə-ˌspek-tiv How to pronounce retrospective (audio)
: 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
retrospectively adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!