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

This color choice was then replicated again for the shoe’s retro release in 2009. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

That someone with a voice as communicative and constantly evolving as Bridges is often reduced to a retro aesthete is a shame. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026

Keep reading to learn about nine different retro designs that are all the rage in 2026, too. — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026

The cast is game, too, particularly Son Sang-kyu, who is very funny as a feckless chatterbox with a thing for retro record players, and Moon Choi, who plays the moodier, more legitimately aggrieved of two Song daughters. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 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")