in retrospect

Idioms

Looking backward, reflecting on the past. For example, In retrospect, he regarded his move as the best thing he'd ever done. This idiom employs retrospect in the sense of “a view of the past.” [Second half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But in retrospect it was a matter of when, not if.

From Barron's

In retrospect, Phaedra may not have been cold.

From Salon

In retrospect, it looks even worse than that.

From Salon

She said that, as her adrenaline was pumping, she didn’t fear for her personal safety, “though in retrospect, maybe I should have.”

From Los Angeles Times

The ambitious stock-market target put in place by South Korea’s new president last summer is in retrospect looking too cautious.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023