regression

noun

re·gres·sion ri-ˈgre-shən

Synonyms of regression next

: the act or an instance of regressing

: a trend or shift toward a lower or less perfect state: such as

: progressive decline of a manifestation of disease

b(1)

: gradual loss of differentiation and function by a body part especially as a physiological change accompanying aging

(2)

: gradual loss of memories and acquired skills

: reversion to an earlier mental or behavioral level

: a functional relationship between two or more correlated variables that is often empirically determined from data and is used especially to predict values of one variable when given values of the others

the regression of y on x is linear

specifically : a function that yields the mean value of a random variable under the condition that one or more independent variables have specified values

: retrograde motion

Example Sentences

the regression to really childish behavior that boys often undergo when put in large groups

Recent Examples on the Web The first signs of regression appeared early Saturday, when Trump surprised his campaign aides with a social media post that declared he would be arrested Tuesday. —

Michael C. Bender, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2023 The controversy also demonstrates the regression of democracy and human rights in the country that sparked the Arab Spring revolts over a decade ago. —

Larry Madowo, CNN, 15 Mar. 2023 Meanwhile, Freiburg has drastically overperformed its road underlying metrics and could see some negative regression. —

Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2022 Add in fears of a looming recession and employee demands for higher wages, and you’re left with the potential for regression, Rikleen says. —

Paige Mcglauflin, Fortune, 29 July 2022 Continuous sleep might last through the night, but watch out for a regression. —

Nate Dern, The New Yorker, 18 June 2022 Gibson’s regression in Philadelphia the second half of last season also might give you pause. —

Dallas News, 29 Mar. 2022 The House seats estimates are based on a multilevel regression and post-stratification model incorporating voter responses to this survey. —

Anthony Salvanto, Kabir Khanna, Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2022 One year after the fall of Kabul, life for Afghanistan's women continues to worsen amid rising violence and the regression of human rights. —

Byjamie Dorrington, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regression.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of regression was in 1583

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Regression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regression. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

regression

noun

re·gres·sion ri-ˈgresh-ən

: an act or the fact of regressing

Medical Definition

regression

noun

re·gres·sion ri-ˈgresh-ən

: a trend or shift toward a lower, less severe, or less perfect state: as

: progressive decline (as in size or severity) of a manifestation of disease

tumor regression following radiation

b(1)

: a gradual loss of differentiation and function by a body part especially as a physiological change accompanying aging

menopausal regression of the ovaries

(2)

: gradual loss (as in old age) of memories and acquired skills

: reversion to an earlier mental or behavioral level or to an earlier stage of psychosexual development in response to organismic stress or to suggestion

a protective regression towards childhood—

Havelock Ellis