retroactive

[re-troh-ak-tiv]

adjective

1. operative with respect to past occurrences, as a statute; retrospective.

   a retroactive law.

2. pertaining to a pay raise effective as of a past date.

retroactive

/ ˌrɛtrəʊˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. applying or referring to the past

   retroactive legislation

2. effective or operative from a date or for a period in the past

Other Word Forms

• retroactively adverb
• retroactivity noun
• nonretroactive adjective
• nonretroactivity noun
• unretroactive adjective
• retroactiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of retroactive¹

First recorded in 1605–15; retro- + active

Example Sentences

The university said it has already implemented salary and merit wage increases for non-tenure-track faculty that amount to an average 7.8% pay raise, retroactive to August.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Starting in early 2027, the three-month window for retroactive coverage will also shrink to just one month for Medicaid Expansion recipients and two months for traditional enrollees.

Read more on Salon

The legislation “would impose retroactive liability on companies for lawful business activities dating back to 1990 and would introduce significant regulatory uncertainty that threatens California’s economic stability and competitiveness,” the letter says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“There’s impacts to the classroom whether there’s a claim or not, because they’ve got to pay the retroactive premiums somehow,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Social Security has promised to increase benefits and make retroactive payments to people affected by the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset.

Read more on Los Angeles Times