retro-

re·tro-
UK/ˈɹɛtɹəʊ-/Canada, US/ˈɹɛtɹoʊ-/

prefix

Back or backward.

“retroactive”

Similar
re-
Opposite
pro-
OriginLatin retrō ← Proto-Italic *wre- →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. Back or backward.
  2. Behind.
  3. In the opposite direction.
  4. Pertaining to an earlier time.

    retroactive

  5. informalOld-fashioned or old school.

    Synonyms: re-

Synonyms & antonyms

prefixOld-fashioned or old school.

Similar
re-
Opposite
pro-
Also see
post-

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Latinretrō
  4. Englishretro-

See retro.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Esperanto retro-
  • retro-back or backward
French rétro-
  • rétro-back or backward
German retro-
  • retro-back or backward
Italian retro-
  • retro-back or backward
Portuguese retro-
  • retro-back or backward
Spanish retro-
  • retro-back or backward
Cite this entry
APA

retro-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retro-

MLA

“retro-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retro-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retro-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retro-.

Source: retro- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.