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

Michelle Obama rocked Adidas’s Japan Decon sneakers, a retro style originally made for the 1964 Olympics. — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026

That's because Smoky Hill High School is using a logo similar to a retro logo used by the Buffalo Sabres NHL team in upstate New York. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Stewart’s sneaker style leans toward vintage and retro aesthetics, with multiple versatile canvas shoes in her closet. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 July 2026

Sometimes the trends are even more hyper-specific, like last year’s Pucci summer, in which influencers elicited envy while on Euro trips trapezing around in their retro prints. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 30 July 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")