retroactive

adjective

Definition of retroactivenext
as in retrospective

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retroactive The state should eliminate the retroactive application of the tax and apply it from the date the law was enacted. — Michael Wolfe, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026 But the law was not retroactive, leaving Lee and others on death row. — CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 The increase is retroactive to July 1 and the agreement runs through June 30, 2028. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Kahan eventually received a retroactive songwriting credit after his team contacted Lefty about the similarities. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retroactive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retroactive
  1. retrospective
  2. analytic
  3. meditative
  4. reflective
  5. contemplative
  6. pensive
  7. logical
  8. ruminative
Adjective
  • Lifetime Achievement Recognizing an influential living artist having a retrospective or survey exhibition at a major US museum.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But traditional accounting relationships tend to be retrospective.
    — Bas Kniphorst, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of retrospective
Adjective
  • The company says its analytical data show heavy rare earth elements and yttrium averaging more than twice the concentration of light rare earth elements.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The other uses a new analytical technology, changes its strategy based partly on those findings and the trial still fails.
    — George Achilleos, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of analytic
Adjective
  • The meditative moment echoes the themes at the heart of the design, reflecting the beauty of shaping something over time through patience, care and intention, Birkenstock noted.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Pale woods, greenery and clean lines create a Scandinavian vibe that feels almost meditative.
    — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of meditative
Adjective
  • Mercury in your sign opposes Chiron in your partnership zone, making close relationships unusually reflective today.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Advice still needs to be reflective of the client’s data, commercial objectives, sector conditions and risk appetite.
    — Bas Kniphorst, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • Her honeyed vocals are a powerful pairing for this track’s lilting, contemplative production.
    — Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And in Walworth County, travelers will find more of that contemplative, fall experience, according to Emma Lowecki, director of guest experience at The Belfry House.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplative
Adjective
  • Enough with the pensive mood pieces; bring back the pie f**king!
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington sat pensive, drumming his fingers on the defense table.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of pensive
Adjective
  • Now five decades in the business, the company framed the launch as the next logical step for a brand with products that are built to last and to be passed on between friends, families, and now shoppers.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Eight of the trophies the club won under Mansour came during the years under investigation, so handing them over to the teams that finished behind City while following the rules seems like a logical solution.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of logical
Adjective
  • Set on the eve of the Korean war, this ruminative story follows a midwestern family that’s fractured by a mother’s sudden disappearance.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow.
    — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
Definition of ruminative

Browse Nearby Words

retro
retroactive
retrofit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Retroactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retroactive. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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