retrospect

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈrɛtroˌspɛkt/

Etymology

Latin retrōspectum, from retrōspicio (“to look back at”).

Noun

retrospect (plural retrospects)

1. consideration of past times
   • 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, 1989 University of Georgia Press edition, ISBN 0820311286, 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.

Translations

consideration of past times

• Basque: iraganera begiratze (eu), atzera begiratze (eu)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 回顧 (cmn), 回顾 (cmn) (huígù)

• Finnish: jälkikäteistarkastelu, katsaus menneeseen
• French: rétrospection (fr) f, coup d'œil rétrospectif (fr) m
• German: Rückblick (de) m, Rückschau (de) f

• Hebrew: דיעבד (he) (di'avád)
• Japanese: 回顧 (ja) (かいこ, kaiko)
• Russian: взгляд назад (ru) (vzgljad nazád) m, взгляд в прошлое (ru) (vzgljad v próšloje) m, ретроспективный взгляд (ru) (retrospektívnyj vzgljad)
• Scottish Gaelic: ath-bheachd (gd) m, sealltainn air ais (gd) m

Antonyms

• prospect

Derived terms

• in retrospect

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
   • 1804: Alexander Hamilton, Letter to John Adams (Bartlett) - To give a correct idea of the circumstances.., it may be useful to retrospect to an early period.