retroact

[ re-troh-akt ]

verb (used without object)
  1. to act in opposition; react.

  2. to have reference to or influence on past occurrences.

Origin of retroact

1
First recorded in 1785–95; retro- + act

Words Nearby retroact

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use retroact in a sentence

  • In all such eases, odd as it may sound, our judgment may actually be said to retroact and to enrich the past.

    The Meaning of Truth | William James
  • The concentric is the passive state, for when one experiences a deep emotion, he must retroact.

British Dictionary definitions for retroact

retroact

/ (ˈrɛtrəʊˌækt) /


verb(intr)
  1. to act in opposition

  2. to influence or have reference to past events

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012