Meanings
comparative more retrospective · superlative most retrospective
- Of, relating to, or contemplating the past.
Following a retrospective review of patient records, the parents of eligible patients were contacted by telephone to provide information about the study.
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, →DOI1 more example
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.
2015 March 4, Louise Taylor, The Guardian - Affecting or influencing past things; retroactive.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn exhibition of works from an extended period of an artist's activity.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveconcerned with or related to the past
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinretrōspectus
- Englishretrospective
From retrospect + -ive. From Latin retrōspectus, perfect passive participle of retrōspiciō (“to look back at”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic متعلِّق بالماضي, رَجْعِيّ
- متعلِّق بالماضيof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- رَجْعِيّ (rajʕiyy)of, relating to, or contemplating the past
Catalan retrospectiu, retrospectiva
- retrospectiuof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospectivaexhibition of works
Chinese Mandarin 懷舊的 /怀旧的, 回顧的 /回顾的
- 懷舊的 /怀旧的 (huáijiù de)of, relating to, or contemplating the past
- 回顧的 /回顾的 (huígù de)looking backwards
French rétrospectif
- rétrospectifof, relating to, or contemplating the past
German rückblickend, rückschauend
- rückblickendof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- rückschauendof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- zurückblickendlooking backwards
- rückwirkendaffecting or influencing past things; retroactive
- Retrospektiveexhibition of works
Indonesian kenangan kembali, pandangan balik
- kenangan kembaliof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- pandangan baliklooking backwards
Irish aisbhreathnaitheach, iardhearcach
- aisbhreathnaitheachlooking backwards
- iardhearcachlooking backwards
- cúlghabhálachaffecting or influencing past things; retroactive
- siarghabhálachaffecting or influencing past things; retroactive
Italian retrospettivo, retrospettiva
- retrospettivoof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospettivaexhibition of works
Polish retrospektywny, retrospekcyjny
- retrospektywnyof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospekcyjnyof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospektywnylooking backwards
- retrospekcyjnylooking backwards
- retrospektywnyaffecting or influencing past things; retroactive
- retrospekcyjnyaffecting or influencing past things; retroactive
- retrospektywaexhibition of works
Portuguese retrospectivo, retrospetivo
- retrospectivoof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospetivoof, relating to, or contemplating the past
Romanian retrospectiv
- retrospectivof, relating to, or contemplating the past
Russian ретроспектива
- ретроспектива (retrospektiva)looking backwards
Spanish retrospectivo, retrospectiva
- retrospectivoof, relating to, or contemplating the past
- retrospectivaexhibition of works
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with retrospective
Cite this entry
retrospective. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective
“retrospective.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retrospective,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrospective.
Source: retrospective on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.