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Synonyms

retro

1 American  
[re-troh] / ˈrɛ troʊ /

adjective

Informal.

  1. retroactive.

    retro pay.

  2. of or designating the style of an earlier time.

    retro clothes.
retro- 2 American  

  1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin meaning “backward” (retrogress ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (retrorocket ).

retro- 1 British  

prefix

  1. back or backwards

    retroactive

  2. located behind

    retrolental
"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
retro 2 British  
/ ˈrɛtrəʊ /

noun

  1. short for retrorocket

"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

adjective

  1. denoting something associated with or revived from the past

    retro dressing

    retro fashion
"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

Etymology

Origin of retro1

By shortening

Origin of retro-2

< Latin, representing retrō (adv.), backward, back, behind

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.

“Hag” sits smack-dab at the center of a four-way intersection between camp, arthouse, schlock and retro TV movie of the week.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

OK, there is a bit of retro charm in a TV that flips on and instantly tunes to a live network broadcast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

As fans posed with props like the Stewart “leg table” and retro Hannah outfits, the event was a chance to celebrate all things “Hannah Montana.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Billed "scarlet red" with purple pinstripes by the SFA, Scotland football fans have questioned the colour of the so-called "retro" away kit, with many branding it coral, orange or Irn Bru colour.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The one other thing that remained the same was the retro movie poster of Casablanca over his bed.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

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.