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

Film Festival world premiere offering warm-but-never-fuzzy retro visions of stunts and cross-border tension that resonate in the present moment. — Jennie Punter, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Some of our friends, who’d assumed that abstract art was all that any longer really mattered, were wondering if Jack’s nudes were radical or retro or if retro was the new radical. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Similar reactions have played out online around the trend, with some users sharing retro portraits while others condemn the use of AI or criticize people who take issue with it. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

The study does not mean every company should start adding retro images to its ads or reviving those old singsong radio jingles. — Bernard May, Forbes.com, 10 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")