retrospectively.

1. From a later position looking back at earlier events or information.

2. In a way that applies a decision, rule or change to a time before its enactment or announcement.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• retrospectively assess
• retrospectively interpret

On the page

Retrospectively, the warning signs seemed clearer than they had during the crisis.

The historian assessed the decision retrospectively without attributing later knowledge to the officials.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Invariable adverb; no plural or tense forms. Comparison is used only where a particular degree naturally permits it. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: inference, qualification, analysis, methodology. Disciplines: academic writing, reasoning, research. Commonness: moderately common.