retrospect

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin retrōspectum, from retrōspicio (“to look back at”), equivalent to retro- +‎ -spect. Compare review.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛtɹəˌspɛkt/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ret‧ro‧spect

Noun

retrospect (plural retrospects)

1. Consideration of past times.

   Antonym: prospect

   • 1853, Charlotte Bronte, Villette:

     My mind, calmer and stronger now than last night, made for itself some imperious rules, prohibiting under deadly penalties all weak retrospect of happiness past; commanding a patient journeying through the wilderness of the present...

   • 1976, Terry Kay, The Year the Lights Came On, University of Georgia Press, published 1989, →ISBN, page 298:

     Whether, like Colin, in retrospect Willie Lee and Baptist would feel that what has vanished was greater than what was achieved, is not something we can predict.

Derived terms

• in retrospect
• retrospectical
• retrospection
• retrospective

 

Translations

consideration of past times

• Basque: iraganera begiratze, atzera begiratze
• Bulgarian: ретроспекция (bg) f (retrospekcija)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 回顧／回顾 (zh) (huígù)

• Finnish: jälkikäteistarkastelu, katsaus menneeseen
• French: rétrospection (fr) f, coup d’œil rétrospectif m
• German: Rückblick (de) m, Rückschau (de) f
• Hebrew: דיעבד (he) (di'avád)
• Hindi: सिंहावलोकन (hi) (sĩhāvlokan)
• Japanese: 回顧 (ja) (かいこ, kaiko), 遡上 (ja) (sojō)
• Russian: взгляд наза́д m (vzgljad nazád), взгляд в про́шлое m (vzgljad v próšloje), ретроспекти́вный взгляд (retrospektívnyj vzgljad)
• Scottish Gaelic: ath-bheachd m, sealltainn air ais m

Verb

retrospect (third-person singular simple present retrospects, present participle retrospecting, simple past and past participle retrospected)

1. To look or refer back to; to reflect on.
   • 1800 October 24, Alexander Hamilton, “Letter from Alexander Hamilton, Concerning the Public Conduct and Character of John Adams, Esq. President of the United States”, in Harold C. Syrett, editor, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton‎^[1], volumes 25, July 1800 – April 1802, New York: Columbia University Press, published 1962, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 187:

     To give a correct idea of the circumstances which have gradually produced this conviction, it may be useful to retrospect to an early period.

See also

• hindsight
• review

Anagrams

• protecters, reprotects