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retroact

[ re-troh-akt ]
/ ˈrɛ troʊˌækt /

verb (used without object)

to act in opposition; react.
to have reference to or influence on past occurrences.

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To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
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Origin of retroact

First recorded in 1785–95; retro- + act

Words nearby retroact

retributivism, retrieval, retrieve, retriever, retro, retroact, retroaction, retroactive, retroactive inhibition, retroactively, retrobulbar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for retroact

  • The concentric is the passive state, for when one experiences a deep emotion, he must retroact.

    Delsarte System of Oratory|Various

  • In all such eases, odd as it may sound, our judgment may actually be said to retroact and to enrich the past.

    The Meaning of Truth|William James

British Dictionary definitions for retroact

retroact
/ (ˈrɛtrəʊˌækt) /

verb (intr)

to act in opposition
to influence or have reference to past events
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