retro

See also: rétro, retrò, retrô, retro-, and rétro-

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French rétro, ultimately from Latin retro.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĕt′rō
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛt.ɹəʊ/

  Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛt.ɹoʊ/
• (Indic) IPA^(key): /reʈˈroː/
• Rhymes: -ɛtɹəʊ
• Hyphenation: ret‧ro

Adjective

retro (comparative more retro, superlative most retro)

1. Of, or relating to, the past, past times, or the way things were.
   • 2014 September 7, Natalie Angier, “The Moon comes around again [print version: Revisiting a moon that still has secrets to reveal: Supermoon revives interest in its violent origins and hidden face, International New York Times, 10 September 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 31 July 2020:

     Scientists say that while the public may think of the moon as a problem solved and a bit retro – the place astronauts visited a half-dozen times way back before Watergate and then abandoned with a giant "meh" from mankind – in fact, lunar studies is a vibrant enterprise that is yielding a wealth of surprises.

2. Affecting things past; retroactive, ex post facto.

Derived terms

• retro future
• retro running

Translations

of, or relating to the past, past times, or the way things were

• Finnish: retro-, vanhanaikainen (fi), uusvanha
• French: rétro (fr)
• Polish: retro (pl)
• Portuguese: retrô (pt) c
• Russian: ре́тро- (rétro-), устаре́вший (ru) (ustarévšij), старомо́дный (ru) (staromódnyj)
• Swedish: retro (sv)

affecting things past; retroactive, ex post facto

• Finnish: takautuva, retroaktiivinen
• French: rétro (fr)

Noun

retro (countable and uncountable, plural retros or retroes)

1. (uncountable) Past fashions or trends.
2. (countable) Abbreviation of retrorocket.
3. (countable) Abbreviation of retrospective.
   • 1983, Sightlines, volumes 16-17, page 44:

     Richard Leacock's 1981 film portrait, Louise Brooks, was shown during a retro of Ms. Brooks's films at the Walker Art Center.

4. (chess) A chess puzzle of retrograde analysis, requiring the solver to work out the history of moves leading to the position presented.

Derived terms

• retromania
• retrosexual
• retroware

Translations

retrorocket — see retrorocket

See also

• (fashion, the past, trend, style): retro on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Torre

Finnish

Etymology

From English retro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈretro/, [ˈre̞t̪ro̞]
• Rhymes: -etro
• Syllabification^(key): ret‧ro
• Hyphenation^(key): ret‧ro

Noun

retro

1. retro style, retro

Declension

Inflection of retro (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		retro	retrot
genitive		retron	retrojen
partitive		retroa	retroja
illative		retroon	retroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		retro	retrot
accusative	nom.	retro	retrot
	gen.	retron
genitive		retron	retrojen
partitive		retroa	retroja
inessive		retrossa	retroissa
elative		retrosta	retroista
illative		retroon	retroihin
adessive		retrolla	retroilla
ablative		retrolta	retroilta
allative		retrolle	retroille
essive		retrona	retroina
translative		retroksi	retroiksi
abessive		retrotta	retroitta
instructive		—	retroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of retro (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative retroni retroni accusative nom. retroni retroni gen. retroni genitive retroni retrojeni partitive retroani retrojani inessive retrossani retroissani elative retrostani retroistani illative retrooni retroihini adessive retrollani retroillani ablative retroltani retroiltani allative retrolleni retroilleni essive retronani retroinani translative retrokseni retroikseni abessive retrottani retroittani instructive — — comitative — retroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative retrosi retrosi accusative nom. retrosi retrosi gen. retrosi genitive retrosi retrojesi partitive retroasi retrojasi inessive retrossasi retroissasi elative retrostasi retroistasi illative retroosi retroihisi adessive retrollasi retroillasi ablative retroltasi retroiltasi allative retrollesi retroillesi essive retronasi retroinasi translative retroksesi retroiksesi abessive retrottasi retroittasi instructive — — comitative — retroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative retromme retromme accusative nom. retromme retromme gen. retromme genitive retromme retrojemme partitive retroamme retrojamme inessive retrossamme retroissamme elative retrostamme retroistamme illative retroomme retroihimme adessive retrollamme retroillamme ablative retroltamme retroiltamme allative retrollemme retroillemme essive retronamme retroinamme translative retroksemme retroiksemme abessive retrottamme retroittamme instructive — — comitative — retroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative retronne retronne accusative nom. retronne retronne gen. retronne genitive retronne retrojenne partitive retroanne retrojanne inessive retrossanne retroissanne elative retrostanne retroistanne illative retroonne retroihinne adessive retrollanne retroillanne ablative retroltanne retroiltanne allative retrollenne retroillenne essive retronanne retroinanne translative retroksenne retroiksenne abessive retrottanne retroittanne instructive — — comitative — retroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative retronsa retronsa accusative nom. retronsa retronsa gen. retronsa genitive retronsa retrojensa partitive retroaan retroansa retrojaan retrojansa inessive retrossaan retrossansa retroissaan retroissansa elative retrostaan retrostansa retroistaan retroistansa illative retroonsa retroihinsa adessive retrollaan retrollansa retroillaan retroillansa ablative retroltaan retroltansa retroiltaan retroiltansa allative retrolleen retrollensa retroilleen retroillensa essive retronaan retronansa retroinaan retroinansa translative retrokseen retroksensa retroikseen retroiksensa abessive retrottaan retrottansa retroittaan retroittansa instructive — — comitative — retroineen retroinensa

Derived terms

• retroilla

compounds

• retrotyylinen

Further reading

• “retro”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Interlingua

Adverb

retro (not comparable)

1. back

Italian

Alternative forms

• rietro (archaic, dialectal).

Etymology

Inherited from Latin retrō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.tro/
• Rhymes: -ɛtro
• Hyphenation: rè‧tro

Adverb

retro

1. behind

Noun

retro m (invariable)

1. back, rear, reverse

Anagrams

• Torre, terrò, torre

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *wretrō, from a formation of re- (“back, reverse”) probably modeled after intrō and other similar adverbs.

Adverb

retrō (not comparable)

1. back, backwards, behind

   Vāde retrō, Satanā!

   Get thee behind me, Satan!

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.489–490:

     “[...] sistere aquam fluviīs, et vertere sīdera retrō, / nocturnōsque movet mānīs [...].”

     “[The enchantress claims that she is able] to halt the water [current] in rivers, and to turn stars backwards, and evoke nocturnal souls of the dead [...].”

2. before, formerly

Derived terms

• *ad retrō
• dē retrō

Descendants

• Ibero-Romance:
  • ⇒ Old Leonese: aderedor, arrededor, a redor
    • Asturian: alredor
    • Mirandese: alredor
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: redor
    • Galician: redor
    • Portuguese: redor
  • Spanish: redor
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: rere
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: retro, rietro
• Borrowings:
  • → Interlingua: retro

References

• “retro”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “retro”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "retro", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “retro”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to back water: navem retro inhibere (Att. 13. 21)
    
• retro in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[4], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French rétro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.trɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛtrɔ
• Syllabification: re‧tro
• Homophone: retro-

Adjective

retro (not comparable, no derived adverb)

1. (fashion) retro (of or relating to the past, past times, or the way things were)

Further reading

• “retro”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[5] (in Polish)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French retro.

Adjective

retro m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. retro

Declension

Declension of retro (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	retro		retro	retro	retro
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive- dative	indefinite	retro		retro	retro	retro
	definite	—		—	—	—

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin retrō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈretɾo/ [ˈre.t̪ɾo]
• Rhymes: -etɾo
• Syllabification: re‧tro

Adjective

retro m or f (masculine and feminine plural retros)

1. retro

Further reading

• “retro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025