What does "retrograde" mean?
Retrograde: Tending or moving backward; having a backward course; contrary; as, a retrograde motion; -- opposed to Ant: progressive. "Progressive and not retrograde." Bacon. It is most retrograde to our desire. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.Declining from a better to a worse state; as, a retrograde people; retrograde ideas, morals, etc. Bacon.
- 3.To go in a retrograde direction; to move, or appear to move, backward, as a planet.
- 4.Hence, to decline from a better to a worse condition, as in morals or intelligence.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-retrograde-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00