retrospect

Where does the word "retrospect" come from? It comes from Latin retrospicere, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Retrospect’s story begins in Latin: retrospicere meant “to look backward.” To look back, from retro- (backward) and specere (to look). It reached English by 1600s as retrospect. Settled as the English word for looking back on past events. Today, retrospect means a survey or review of past events, often revealing new understanding.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient retrospicere "to look backward", to look back, from retro- (backward) and specere (to look).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s retrospect "a survey or review of past events", settled as the English word for looking back on past events.