retrospective
retrospective — noun
1. A public exhibition that brings together works an artist created throughout thei
A public exhibition that brings together works an artist created throughout their working life, often covering several decades.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum hosted a retrospective of Kofi's ceramic sculptures last spring.
collocation: host a retrospective of [artist]
Padma visited the photographer's retrospective three times before the show finally closed.
collocation: visit a retrospective
Aylin's retrospective at the National Gallery drew huge crowds every single weekend.
The gallery catalogue for Lotte's retrospective sold out within the first week.
- exhibition
a general showing of works; a retrospective specifically surveys an artist's entire body of work
- show
more informal, does not imply the comprehensive, career-spanning scope of a retrospective
文法句型
retrospective + of + [artist]
retrospective + at + [venue]
retrospective — adjective
1. Thinking about or describing events, feelings, or situations from earlier times,
Thinking about or describing events, feelings, or situations from earlier times, often with the benefit of present-day knowledge or perspective.
Aylin wrote a retrospective essay about her years working as a reporter in Beirut.
attributive use: retrospective + essay / report / analysis
The documentary took a retrospective look at the band's difficult ten-year journey.
collocation: a retrospective look at [something]
Kofi's retrospective report on the project pointed out both the successes and the failures.
In a retrospective mood, the old friends shared stories from their school days over dinner.
- backward-looking
often carries a negative tone suggesting unwillingness to change, while 'retrospective' is neutral
- nostalgic
emphasizes sentimental longing for the past rather than objective reflection
- reflective
focuses on quiet personal thought and learning, not necessarily about the distant past
- forward-looking
concerned with the future rather than reviewing the past
文法句型
retrospective + noun
be + retrospective
2. Describing a law, rule, payment, or decision that applies to a time before its e
Describing a law, rule, payment, or decision that applies to a time before its enactment — starting from an earlier date rather than from today.
The new tax law was retrospective, applying to all income earned from January last year.
predicative use: law + be + retrospective (+ applying to)
Padma received a retrospective pay rise that covered the previous six months of work.
attributive use: retrospective + pay / payment / salary adjustment
The court ruled that imposing retrospective punishment on the company violated its rights.
Critics argue that retrospective legislation unfairly punishes actions that were legal when taken.
- retroactive
more common in American English; identical in meaning for laws and payments
- prospective
applying from the present moment onward, not backward in time
文法句型
retrospective + law / legislation / payment / decision
be + retrospective
用法筆記
Common in legal and employment contexts. Often used interchangeably with 'retroactive', though 'retroactive' is more frequent in American English for this meaning.