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

With music, dancing, and a touch of retro flair, this is an evening designed for pure fun and maybe a little luck at the tables. —Tiffani Jackson Skinner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025

Featuring a high-rise fit for that retro, live-in feel, choose your custom stretch level, from subtle to classic and even super stretch, depending on your personal preference. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025

But there’s evidence that some young people are developing a fondness for print media, too, seeing in it a sort of retro chic, as well as an escape from the unlimited attention hole that is the modern internet. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025

The Reddit post by user Olastun_bee recounts how the office transitioned from modern business casual—polos, cardigans, khakis—to a retro formality overnight. —Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 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")