retrograde

Main Entry:: ¹ret·ro·grade
Pronunciation:: \ˈre-trə-ˌgrād\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: Middle English, from Latin retrogradus, from retrogradi
Date:: 14th century

1 a (1): having or being motion in a direction contrary to that of the general motion of similar bodies and especially east to west among the stars <Saturn is retrograde for another week> (2): having or being a direction of rotation or revolution that is clockwise as viewed from the north pole of the sky or a planet <a retrograde orbit> b (1): moving, occurring, or performed in a backward direction (2): occurring or performed in a direction opposite to the normal or forward direction of conduction or flow — compare anterograde 1 c: contrary to the normal order : inverse2: tending toward or resulting in a worse or previous state3archaic : contradictory , opposed4: characterized by retrogression5: affecting memories of a period prior to a shock or seizure <retrograde amnesia>6: retro <retrograde fashion>

— ret·ro·grade·ly adverb

Learn more about "retrograde" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "retrograde" in the Visual Thesaurus

Find Jobs in Your City

Pronunciation Symbols