Meaning & use
retrospectively
Looking back on past events, or applied to a time before the present decision was made.
See it in a sentence
Retrospectively, she realized she should have asked more questions before signing the lease.
The pay increase was applied retrospectively, covering the previous three months of work.
A note on using this word
Retrospectively can describe simply thinking back on the past, or a rule or payment formally extended to cover an earlier period.
Words with a similar meaning
in hindsight
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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