Other forms: retrospectives
A retrospective is a look back over a long stretch of somebody's work. An exhibition, a season of films, a career in one room.
Galleries and film festivals use it constantly, and getting one is a mark of arrival. The adjective means looking backwards, and law uses it precisely, since retrospective legislation applies to things that happened before it was passed, which is generally considered unfair. A retrospective pay rise is backdated, which is the same idea and rather more welcome. The adverb is retrospectively, and in retrospect means looking back now.
1nounretrospectiveAn exhibition or survey covering a long period of work.
“The gallery is staging a retrospective of her paintings.”
2adjectivelookingLooking back over the past, or applying to earlier events.
“The rule was given retrospective effect.”
Retro is backward and the rest is looking, the same looking in inspect. A retrospective looks back over all of it at once.
hooks ontoinspect
A retrospective looks back. Latin retrōspiciō meant to look back at, so the gallery show and a retrospective pay rise are the same eye turned round.
Latin
retrōspectus
English, today
retrospective
Built from
From retrospect + -ive. From Latin retrōspectus, perfect passive participle of retrōspiciō (“to look back at”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA