WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ret•ro•gres•sion
(re′trə gresh′ən),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act of retrogressing;
movement backward. - Developmental Biology, Pathology[Biol.]degeneration;
retrograde metamorphosis;
passing from a more complex to a simpler structure.
- Latin retrōgress(us) (see retrogress) + -ion
- 1640–50
ret•ro•gress /ˌrɛtrəˈgrɛs, ˈrɛtrəˌgrɛs/USA pronunciation
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Psychiatryto go backward:Society retrogressed as learning stagnated.
ret•ro•gress
(re′trə gres′, re′trə gres′),USA pronunciation v.i.
- Psychiatryto go backward into an earlier and usually worse condition:to retrogress to infantilism.
- to move backward.
- Latin retrōgressus past participle of retrōgradī to go back or backward, equivalent. to retrō- retro- + gred-, combining form of gradī to step, go (see grade) + -tus past participle suffix, with dt
ss - 1810–20
- 1. decline, degenerate, retrograde, withdraw, retreat, revert.
'retrogression' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):