Dictionary

regressive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. That tends to return, revert or regress.
   • He likes experimenting with flamboyant clothes! That’s it! It’s weird and regressive to think that means he is making a statement about his sexual orientation or gender identity. Let the man wear his “clowncore” jumpsuits in peace. 2023 February 8, Arwa Mahdawi, “People like Harry Styles don’t get awards? Pah!”, in G2 (w:The Guardian), London, page 3:
   • 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. 1981 December 27, Wade Nichols, “Victorian Imperialism”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 23, page 5:
   • A contributing factor to this slightly regressive femininity may have been the sugary fabrics (silver lamé, tulle over sequins) and the meringuelike puffs and baby Googums bows at the neck. 2007 February 6, Cathy Horyn, “Young Spirits, One of Them an Old Master”, in The New York Times:
2. (of a tax) Whose rate decreases as the taxed amount increases.

Forms

Antonyms

progressive

Deriveds

vasoregressive · regressive leftism · regressive leftist · regressive argument · regressive assimilation · regressivism · regressiveness · regressivity · regressive left · regressively · unregressive · autoregressive

Relateds

regression · regress

Translations (16)

ka რეგრესიული (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · pl regresywny (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · ga cúlchéimnitheach (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · bg регресивен (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · ga cúlchéimnitheach (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · uk регреси́вний (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · ru регресси́вный (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · ru регресси́вный (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · de regressiv (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · ga aischéimnitheach (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · bg обратен (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · cs regresivní (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · ga aischéimnitheach (whose rate decreases as the amount increases) · fr régressif (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · hi प्रतिगामी (that tends to return, revert, or regress) · it regressivo (whose rate decreases as the amount increases)