What does "retroactively" mean?

Done after the fact; applying to events that have previously transpired.

What is a synonym for "retroactively"?

Common synonyms include: ago, back, backward, ex post facto, gone by, since.

Pronounced //ˌɹɛtɹoʊˈæktɪvli//.

//ˌɹɛtɹoʊˈæktɪvli// adv

adv ·Rare ·Advanced level

Adverb

1
Done after the fact; applying to events that have previously transpired. not-comparable
"The new legislature passed a resolution retroactively legalizing the actions of the revolutionaries that brought them to power."

Adverb

"Lapulapu is regarded, retroactively, as the first Filipino hero."

From retroactive + -ly.

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