retrospecting
Reviewing past events
Retrospecting is looking back on past events or experiences, typically with reflection or analysis.
The word appears most often in professional contexts, particularly software development, where teams hold retrospectives—meetings to review what went well and what didn't: We spent Friday afternoon retrospecting on the product launch.
Outside such settings, people usually say looking back or reflecting.
Recalled mental image
- reminiscenceRecalling past experiences
- recallMemory retrieval act
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
- rememberingRetaining past information
revisiting · hindsight · episodic · autobiographical · retrieval · anamnesis · reliving · retracing
Thinking deeply about something
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- musingReflective contemplation
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- cogitationCareful, prolonged consideration
brooding · meditation · reflection · dwelling · weighing · considering · mulling · philosophizing
Determining worth or quality
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- reviewCritical written assessment
- appraisalEstimation of worth
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
critique · postmortem · debrief · breakdown · audit · diagnosis · dissection · synthesis
Tender sadness for absence
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- sentimentalityExcessive tender emotion
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
hiraeth · homesickness · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · sepia-toned · bittersweet · rose-colored
Scrutiny of one's thoughts
- self-reflectionExamining one's own mind
- soul-searchingProbing one's innermost feelings
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- self-analysisScrutinizing one's own psyche
self-questioning · self-scrutiny · self-discovery · mindfulness · self-perception · self-inquiry · self-assessment · journaling
recollection
Recalled mental image
- reminiscenceRecalling past experiences
- recallMemory retrieval act
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
remembering · revisiting · hindsight · episodic · autobiographical · retrieval · anamnesis · reliving · retracing · memoir
pondering
Thinking deeply about something
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- musingReflective contemplation
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
cogitation · brooding · meditation · reflection · dwelling · weighing · considering · mulling · philosophizing · theorizing
evaluation
Determining worth or quality
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- reviewCritical written assessment
- appraisalEstimation of worth
examination · critique · postmortem · debrief · breakdown · audit · diagnosis · dissection · synthesis · interpretation
wistfulness
Tender sadness for absence
- longingIntense, persistent desire
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- sentimentalityExcessive tender emotion
melancholy · hiraeth · homesickness · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · sepia-toned · bittersweet · rose-colored · reminiscing
self-examination
Scrutiny of one's thoughts
- self-reflectionExamining one's own mind
- soul-searchingProbing one's innermost feelings
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
self-analysis · self-questioning · self-scrutiny · self-discovery · mindfulness · self-perception · self-inquiry · self-assessment · journaling
retrospectinganticipating
Expecting something to happen
prospecting · forecasting · prognosticating · looking ahead · forward-thinking
retrospectingliving in the moment
Awareness of present experience
experiencing · mindfulness · attending · engaging · acting
- career retrospectiveReview of professional achievements