retrograde adj

1 moving from east to west on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in a direction opposite to that of the Earth [ant: direct]

2 of amnesia; affecting time immediately preceding trauma [ant: anterograde]

3 going from better to worse [syn: retrogressive]

4 moving or directed or tending in a backward direction or contrary to a previous direction [syn: retral]

1 move backward in an orbit, of celestial bodies

2 move in a direction contrary to the usual one; "retrograding planets"

3 move back; "The glacier retrogrades" [syn: retreat]

4 go back over; "retrograde arguments" [syn: rehash, hash over]

5 get worse; fall back to a previous or worse condition [syn: regress, retrogress] [ant: progress]

English

Etymology

Adjective: Middle English from Latin retrogradus. Verb: Latin retrogredi or Late Latin retrogredere (retro- "back" + gradi "walk").

Adjective

1. Directed backwards, retreating; reverting especially inferior state, declining; inverse, reverse; movement opposite to normal or intended motion, often circular motion.
2. Counterproductive to a desired outcome.

See also

• anterograde

Noun

1. A degenerate person.

Verb

1. To move backwards; to recede; to retire; to decline; to revert.
2. In the context of "intransitive|astronomy": To show retrogradation.

Related terms

• retrogress
• retrogression
• retrogressive

Italian

Adjective

retrograde

1. Feminine plural form of retrogrado

Retrograde is a retreating motion studied in multiple fields:

• Retrograde signaling, in neuroscience
• Retrograde is a type of musical permutation
• Retrograde and direct motion, the movement of an astronomical object
• Retrograde ejaculation, in medicine
• Retrograde menstruation occurs through the fallopian tubes, in medicine

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