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.
Call it the laziness tax: a quiet, regressive wealth transfer from inattentive consumers to the banking system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Just because something doesn’t fit into the regressive limitations of “good” and “bad” doesn’t mean that it has no worth.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Researchers believe these animals may have crossed temporary land bridges that appeared when sea levels fell during regressive phases of the proto-North Atlantic Ocean.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
One could argue that the burden should be shared more broadly than through a regressive tax on today’s workers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
This, too, is the time when petulance and tantrums are frequent expression of a wish to be left alone, which may account for the negativism as a consistent symptom of the same regressive progress.
From Benign Stupors A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction Type by John T. (John Thompson) MacCurdy
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.
