Regressive

adj

adj ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    That tends to return, revert or regress.

    "Some say history repeats itself, that time is cyclical. Others cling to the notion of progress and change over time. Apparently Nancy Walker marches to a different drummer — marches backwards, that is. Her ideas on art and society seem quaint and odd on the one hand and, on the other, petty and regressive."

  2. 2
    Whose rate decreases as the taxed amount increases.
Adjective
  1. 1
    opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state wordnet
  2. 2
    (of taxes) adjusted so that the rate decreases as the amount of income increases wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
atavisticretrogressiveapostateascendingaxialback

Example

More examples

"The aim of jazz is the mechanical reproduction of a regressive moment, a castration symbolism. 'Give up your masculinity, let yourself be castrated,' the eunuchlike sound of the jazz band both mocks and proclaims, 'and you will be rewarded, accepted into a fraternity which shares the mystery of impotence with you, a mystery revealed at the moment of the initiation rite."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin regressīvus, equivalent to regress + -ive.

Related phrases

regressive argumentregressive assimilationregressive leftregressive leftismregressive leftist

More for "regressive"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.