MEANING
Looking back at past events or examining information already recorded.
Use it for
past-record analysis; historical reassessment; recalling earlier experiencesState whether the evidence was collected before or after the question arose.
Words that belong together
- retrospective study
- retrospective review
- retrospective account
On the page
The retrospective review used attendance records from the previous decade.
Her retrospective account may reflect what she learned after the dispute.
The museum organized a retrospective exhibition of the painter's early work.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- retrospective
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. In research, retrospective designs use past records or recollections; this can create selection and recall problems. Also a noun for an exhibition or review of past work. Normally non-gradable in this sense; comparison requires a specific contextual scale. Derived family (not inflections): retrospect, retrospectively. Secondary count noun: singular retrospective; plural retrospectives.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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