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 of retro

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

Music is somewhere in the middle, with massive glass walls and retro finishings. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026

Artificial intelligence music company Suno is going retro — eventually. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

With its linen shirts, aprons, head scarves, gold jewelry, retro prints, and effortless elegance, the Italian grandma look takes Mediterranean chic to a new, but more comfortable, level. — Lenny Coynault, Glamour, 7 Aug. 2026

In this case, however, the stock cloth (or vinyl) bench seat gets a nice little touch of pizzaz courtesy of Katzkin seat covers with a retro plaid look. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 6 Aug. 2026

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")