retroactive
adjective
ret·ro·ac·tive
ˌre-trō-ˈak-tiv 
: extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past
especially
: made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or imposition
retroactive tax
retroactively
adverb
Did you know?
We normally think of time as constantly moving forward. Since retroactive seems to defy time's forward movement, retroactive taxes, laws, and regulations are often seen as particularly obnoxious and unfair. But nobody ever objects to receiving a retroactive raise at work. When we judge historical people and events in terms of present-day morality and attitudes, our retroactive judgments may indicate that we're too impressed with ourselves and ignorant of history.
Examples of retroactive in a Sentence
They all received a retroactive pay raise.
The new tax will be retroactive to January 1.
Recent Examples on the Web
The city's proposal called for a 5% wage increase on 2023 salaries, with no retroactive back pay.
—
Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The sides announced an agreement one week later that was retroactive to April 1, the day the previous contract expired.
—Bram Sable-Smith, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
That tax hike on California employers, which Newsom signed in June of 2020, was made retroactive to the start of the year.
—Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
However, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court’s majority, Oregon and Louisiana were still free to offer retroactive relief on their own.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retroactive
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Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The sides announced an agreement one week later that was retroactive to April 1, the day the previous contract expired.
—Bram Sable-Smith, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
That tax hike on California employers, which Newsom signed in June of 2020, was made retroactive to the start of the year.
—Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
However, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court’s majority, Oregon and Louisiana were still free to offer retroactive relief on their own.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retroactive
Cite this Entry
“Retroactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retroactive. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retroactive
adjective
ret·ro·ac·tive
ˌre-trō-ˈak-tiv
: intended to apply or take effect at a date in the past
a retroactive pay raise
retroactively
adverb
Medical Definition
retroactive
adjective
ret·ro·ac·tive
ˌre-trō-ˈak-tiv
: having relation or reference to or efficacy in a prior time
specifically
: relating to, caused by, or being obliteration of the results of learning by immediately subsequent activity
retroactive inhibition
Legal Definition
retroactive
adjective
ret·ro·ac·tive
ˌre-trō-ˈak-tiv
: extending in scope or effect to a prior time or to conditions that existed or originated in the past
especially
: made effective as of a date prior to enactment, promulgation, or imposition
a retroactive tax
see also ex post facto law
retroactively
adverb
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