retrospect
retrospect Lexical Profile
retrospect Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A survey, review, or contemplation of past time, events, or experiences (especially used in the phrase 'in retrospect').
"In retrospect, the research team realized they should have collected a larger sample size before publishing their initial findings."
• verb
To look back upon or contemplate past events, actions, or experiences; to review the past.
"At the end of every software development cycle, the engineers gather to retrospect on what went well and what could be improved."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun, 'retrospect' is overwhelmingly used in the fixed prepositional phrase 'in retrospect' (meaning with the benefit of hindsight); as a standalone countable noun meaning a survey of past work, 'retrospective' is now much more common.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin retrospectus ('a looking back'), from the past participle of retrospicere, combining retro- ('backward') and specere ('to look at').