retro

1 of 2

adjective

ret·​ro ˈre-(ˌ)trō 

: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past : fashionably nostalgic or old-fashioned

a retro look

retro noun

retro-

2 of 2

prefix

1

: backward : back

retro-rocket

2

: situated behind

retroperitoneal

Synonyms

Adjective

• vintage
• antique

Examples of retro in a Sentence

Adjective

the retro look in fashion

retro fashions that seek to capture the lost glamour of Hollywood in the 1930s

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The ’70s-meets-Y2K concept is even carried over to the midsole, which pairs a more modern strike path configuration with a retro traction pattern. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025

Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney recently toured this retro residence on the market for $15 million in the lower Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2025

With a retro dress, red wig and chessboard at the ready, this was easily one of her most stylish costumes of 2021. —Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

Wear neutral clothes underneath, and use face paint or markers to draw a digital mouth or screen for an instant retro robot. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French rétro, short for rétrospectif retrospective

Prefix

Latin, from retro, from re- + -tro (as in intro within) — more at intro-

First Known Use

Adjective

1972, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing retro

• retro-rocket

Rhymes for retro

• nonmetro

Kids Definition

retro

1 of 2 adjective

ret·​ro ˈret-rō 

: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past

retro-

2 of 2 prefix

: backward : back

retro-rocket

Etymology

Prefix

derived from Latin re- "back, again" and Latin -tro (the final part of intro "within")