regressive
Americanadjective
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regressing or tending to regress; retrogressive.
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Biology. of, relating to, or effecting regression.
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(of tax) decreasing proportionately with an increase in the tax base.
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Logic. obtained from or characterized by backward reasoning.
adjective
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regressing or tending to regress
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(of a tax or tax system) levied or graduated so that the rate decreases as the amount taxed increases See progressive
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of, relating to, or characteristic of regression
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of regressive
Explanation
Use the adjective regressive to describe something that moves backward instead of forward, like a society that grants women fewer and fewer rights each year. To understand the word regressive, it's helpful to know that its antonym, or opposite, is progressive. When something is progressive, it tends to get better and more advanced. Something that's regressive, on the other hand, gets less developed or returns to an older state. Since the late 1800s, regressive has also labeled a kind of tax policy that rewards those who make more money and punishes those who make less.
Vocabulary lists containing regressive
"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury
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Government and the Economy, Sections 3–5
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State and Local Governments, Sections 5–6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Regressive policies and enforcement procedures are being scaled back in surprising numbers.
From The Guardian • Apr. 13, 2020
Reflecting his ambition, he set up an offshoot called the Coalition Against Regressive Taxation, raising money from tobacco and winemakers to fight excise tax increases.
From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2015
The car’s rear door swings open and he’s whisked away to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.
From The Guardian • Jun. 22, 2015
Regressive, even, following as it did on the heels of Beyonce’s all-female, girl-power stage show.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2013
The Regressive Sorites is a train of reasoning in which the major premiss of each epi-syllogism is supported by a pro-syllogism, while the minor is taken for granted.
From Deductive Logic by Stock, St. George William Joseph
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
