A look back at the history of the related adjective retrospective reveals that it retains a strong connection to its past: its Latin source is retrospicere, meaning "to look back at."

RETROSPECTIVE definition: 1. a show of the work an artist has done in their life so far: 2. relating to or thinking about…. Learn more.

RETROSPECTIVE definition: directed to the past; contemplative of past situations, events, etc. See examples of retrospective used in a sentence.

Retrospective means looking back. An art exhibit that cover an artist's entire career is called a retrospective because it looks back at the work the artist has produced over many years.

retrospective, adj. & n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

1. Looking back on, contemplating, or directed to the past. 2. Looking or directed backward. 3. Applying to or influencing the past; retroactive. 4. Of, relating to, or being a retrospective: a …

retrospective meaning, definition, what is retrospective: related to or thinking about the past: Learn more.

RETROSPECTIVE meaning: 1 : of or relating to the past or something that happened in the past; 2 : effective from a particular date in the past

A retrospective is an exhibition or showing of work done by an artist over many years, rather than his or her most recent work. The actress will preside over a retrospective of her films. They …

any exhibition or series of showings or performances, as of musical works or motion pictures, representing the work of an artist or performer over all or a major part of a career: a …