Meanings
comparative more regressive · superlative most regressive
- That tends to return, revert or regress.
A contributing factor to this slightly regressive femininity may have been the sugary fabrics (silver lamé, tulle over sequins) and the meringuelike puffs and baby Googums bows at the neck.
2007 February 6, Cathy Horyn, “Young Spirits, One of Them an Old Master”, in The New York Times2 more examples
Some say history repeats itself, that time is cyclical. Others cling to the notion of progress and change over time. Apparently Nancy Walker marches to a different drummer — marches backwards, that is. Her ideas on art and society seem quaint and odd on the one hand and, on the other, petty and regressive.
1981 December 27, Wade Nichols, “Victorian Imperialism”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 23, page 5He likes experimenting with flamboyant clothes! That’s it! It’s weird and regressive to think that means he is making a statement about his sexual orientation or gender identity. Let the man wear his “clowncore” jumpsuits in peace.
2023 February 8, Arwa Mahdawi, “People like Harry Styles don’t get awards? Pah!”, in G2 (w:The Guardian), London, page 3
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(of taxes) adjusted so that the rate decreases as the amount of income increases
adjectiveopposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinregressīvus
- Englishregressive
Borrowed from Latin regressīvus, equivalent to regress + -ive.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian обратен, регресивен
- обратен (obraten)that tends to return, revert, or regress
- регресивен (regresiven)that tends to return, revert, or regress
Czech regresivní
- regresivníwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
French régressif
- régressifthat tends to return, revert, or regress
German regressiv
- regressivwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Hindi प्रतिगामी
- प्रतिगामी (pratigāmī)that tends to return, revert, or regress
Irish aischéimnitheach, cúlchéimnitheach
- aischéimnitheachthat tends to return, revert, or regress
- cúlchéimnitheachthat tends to return, revert, or regress
- cúlchéimnitheachwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
- aischéimnitheachwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Italian regressivo
- regressivowhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Polish regresywny
- regresywnywhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Russian регресси́вный, регресси́вный
- регресси́вный (regressívnyj)that tends to return, revert, or regress
- регресси́вный (regressívnyj)whose rate decreases as the amount increases
Ukrainian регреси́вний
- регреси́вний (rehresývnyj)that tends to return, revert, or regress
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with regressive
Cite this entry
regressive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive
“regressive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regressive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive.
Source: regressive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.