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Prepositions after adjectives

Retrospective of or retrospective at?

Retrospective is commonly followed by of when describing reflection on the past. At usually introduces a location or event, not the content of reflection.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with retrospective?

Use retrospective of to describe reflection on a past period, event, or career. Use at only for place or event details, such as a retrospective at a museum.

Her essay was retrospective of her years abroad.
We attended a retrospective at the city gallery.
The film is retrospective of postwar life.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
retrospective of + past event

Describing reflection on the past

Use of to name the period, experience, or subject being reconsidered.

The novel is retrospective of childhood memories.
His speech was retrospective of the early internet era.
2
retrospective at + place

Giving the location of an exhibition or event

At can introduce the venue where a retrospective exhibition or screening happens.

There is a Picasso retrospective at the museum this month.
We saw the director's retrospective at the film festival.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
retrospective of
The article was retrospective of the economic crisis.
Standard for describing reflection on a past subject.
retrospective at
A retrospective at the gallery opens tomorrow.
At introduces the location or event, not the topic of reflection.
retrospective about
The memoir is retrospective about her youth.
Possible in some contexts, but of is more natural after retrospective.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using at for the topic of reflection

At normally introduces a place or event, not the subject being reflected on.

✕ The essay was retrospective at her school years. ✓ The essay was retrospective of her school years.

Confusing exhibition location with content

A retrospective at a museum is an event. The reflection itself is usually retrospective of something.

✓ The documentary is retrospective of the 1990s, and it premiered at the festival.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Her book is retrospective ___ her years in politics.
2. We visited a retrospective ___ the national museum.
3. The documentary was retrospective ___ life before the internet.

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Frequently asked questions

Is retrospective of standard English?

Yes. It is the usual pattern when referring to reflection on a past event, period, or experience.

Can retrospective at be correct?

Yes, when at introduces a location or event, such as a retrospective at a museum or festival.

Is retrospective about wrong?

Not always, but retrospective of is usually more idiomatic when directly following the adjective.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on?

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