retrospective

See also: rétrospective

English

Etymology

From retrospect +‎ -ive. From Latin retrōspectus, perfect passive participle of retrōspiciō (“to look back at”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛt.ɹə(ʊ)ˈspɛk.tɪv/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ret‧ro‧spec‧tive
• Rhymes: -ɛktɪv

Adjective

retrospective (comparative more retrospective, superlative most retrospective)

1. Of, relating to, or contemplating the past.
   • 2015 March 4, Louise Taylor, The Guardian‎^[1]:

     While the pictures of what precisely unfolded after Cissé looked to tread on Evans are not entirely conclusive, the Football Association will surely pore over them on Thursday before quite possibly using video evidence to impose lengthy retrospective bans stemming from an incident unseen by Anthony Taylor, the referee.

   • 2025 August 13, Müjdat Erarkadaş, Kübra Özmeral Erarkadaş, Şahika Gülen Şişmanlar, “Autism Spectrum Disorder Beyond Childhood: A Comprehensive Assessment of Activities of Daily Living and Social Functioning in Turkish Adults”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders‎^[2], →DOI:

     Following a retrospective review of patient records, the parents of eligible patients were contacted by telephone to provide information about the study.

2. Looking backwards. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
3. Affecting or influencing past things; retroactive. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Synonyms

• hindsightly
• historical
• reflective

Antonyms

• forward-looking
• prospective

Derived terms

• miniretrospective
• retrospective determinism
• retrospectively
• retrospective memory
• retrospectiveness
• retrospectivity

Translations

of, relating to, or contemplating the past

• Arabic: متعلِّق بالماضي, رَجْعِيّ (rajʕiyy)
• Armenian: հետադարձ (hy) (hetadarj)
• Catalan: retrospectiu (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 懷舊的 / 怀旧的 (huáijiù de)

• French: rétrospectif (fr)
• German: rückblickend (de), rückschauend
• Indonesian: kenangan kembali
• Italian: retrospettivo (it)
• Polish: retrospektywny, retrospekcyjny
• Portuguese: retrospectivo (pt) (Brazil), retrospetivo (Portugal)
• Romanian: retrospectiv (ro)
• Spanish: retrospectivo (es)

looking backwards

• Armenian: հետադարձ (hy) (hetadarj)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 回顧的 / 回顾的 (huígù de)

• German: zurückblickend (de)
• Indonesian: pandangan balik
• Irish: aisbhreathnaitheach, iardhearcach
• Kazakh: өткенді шолатын (ötkendı şolatyn), ретроспективті (retrospektivtı), ретроспективтік (retrospektivtık)
• Polish: retrospektywny, retrospekcyjny
• Russian: ретроспектива (ru) (retrospektiva)

affecting or influencing past things; retroactive

• Armenian: հետադարձ (hy) (hetadarj)
• German: rückwirkend (de)
• Irish: cúlghabhálach, siarghabhálach
• Polish: retrospektywny, retrospekcyjny

Noun

retrospective (plural retrospectives)

1. An exhibition of works from an extended period of an artist's activity.

Synonyms

• tribute

Translations

exhibition of works

• Catalan: retrospectiva (ca) f
• German: Retrospektive (de) f
• Italian: retrospettiva (it) f
• Polish: retrospektywa f
• Spanish: retrospectiva (es) f

See also

• festschrift – scholarly analog
• memorial

Further reading

• “retrospective”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Interlingua

Adjective

retrospective (not comparable)

1. retrospective