regress

American  

[ri-gres, ree-gres] / rɪˈgrɛs, ˈri grɛs /

verb (used without object)

1. to move backward; go back.

   Synonyms:

   ebb, lapse, backslide, retreat, revert

2. to revert to an earlier or less advanced state or form.

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noun

1. the act of going back; return.

2. the right to go back.

3. backward movement or course; retrogression.

regress British  

verb

1. (intr) to return or revert, as to a former place, condition, or mode of behaviour

2. (tr) statistics to measure the extent to which (a dependent variable) is associated with one or more independent variables

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noun

1. the act of regressing

2. movement in a backward direction; retrogression

3. logic a supposed explanation each stage of which requires to be similarly explained, as saying that knowledge requires a justification in terms of propositions themselves known to be true

Other Word Forms

• regressor
  noun

Etymology

Origin of regress

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English regresse (noun), from Latin regressus “a return,” noun use of past participle of regredī “to go back, return,” from re- re- + -gredī, combining form of gradī “to step, walk, go”; cf. gradient

Explanation

To regress is to return to a former state or condition, and not usually in a good way. It often means "relapse" or "get worse." First used in the late 14th century as a noun meaning "act of going back," regress originates from the Latin regress, meaning "a return." Many feel that the regress to anti-social behavior among teenagers is caused by violent video games, TV shows, and movies. A 30 year old forced to move back home may regress to old, childlike habits. It can also happen to someone's health, like when the condition of someone in recovery takes a turn for the worse.

Example Sentences

Not that stars tell us much: A Journal study in 2017 showed that five-star funds often regress to being just average after winning the accolade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Yet if these growth rates regress to the mean, as they have in the past, value stocks are quite likely to outperform growth stocks over the next several years.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

When Smith signed for LIV, former Australian tour player Mike Clayton - one of the sharpest observers of the sport - predicted the then Open champion could regress.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

Some children might regress to an earlier stage of development, becoming afraid of going to school and leaving their parents.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025

On the night of the sleepover, she and Shanti regress easily to twelve-year-old behavior.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• degenerate
• deteriorate
• ebb
• fall back
• fall off
• recede
• revert