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retroact

[re-troh-akt]
See more synonyms for retroact on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to act in opposition; react.
  2. to have reference to or influence on past occurrences.
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Origin of retroact

First recorded in 1785–95; retro- + act
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for retroact

Historical Examples

  • 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.

British Dictionary definitions for retroact

retroact

verb (intr)
  1. to act in opposition
  2. to influence or have reference to past events
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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