regressive
adjective
re·gres·sive
ri-ˈgre-siv 
1
: tending to regress or produce regression
2
: being, characterized by, or developing in the course of an evolutionary process involving increasing simplification of bodily structure
3
: decreasing in rate as the base increases
a regressive tax
Examples of regressive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gas taxes are often regressive, disproportionately affecting lower-income drivers.
—
Tirzah Duren, Boston Herald, 8 July 2025
Taxing sales would be regressive, putting the burden of transit recovery squarely on the backs of the people who could least afford it.
—Liz Ames, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
On the Fourth of July, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress, a massive piece of budget legislation that will not only add to the federal deficit, but, according to projections, is actually regressive.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
The tax provisions of the budget bill being debated on the Senate floor would be even more regressive than the version drafted by the Senate Finance Committee, according to a new Tax Policy Center analysis.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for regressive
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Tirzah Duren, Boston Herald, 8 July 2025
Taxing sales would be regressive, putting the burden of transit recovery squarely on the backs of the people who could least afford it.
—Liz Ames, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
On the Fourth of July, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress, a massive piece of budget legislation that will not only add to the federal deficit, but, according to projections, is actually regressive.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
The tax provisions of the budget bill being debated on the Senate floor would be even more regressive than the version drafted by the Senate Finance Committee, according to a new Tax Policy Center analysis.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for regressive
Cite this Entry
“Regressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regressive. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
regressive
adjective
re·gres·sive
ri-ˈgres-iv
1
: of, relating to, or tending toward regression
2
: gradually decreasing
a regressive tax
Medical Definition
regressive
adjective
re·gres·sive
ri-ˈgres-iv
: relating to, resulting from, producing, or characterized by regression
regressive behavior
regressive tissue changes
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