Retroactive
Relating to or applying to events that have already occurred; taking effect from a date in the past.
adjectiveRetroactive
Relating to or applying to events that have already occurred; taking effect from a date in the past.
adjective💡
Imagine This
Imagine a policy announced today that applies to last year's tax returns, as if yesterday's decisions could rewrite the past.
🔊
Sounds Like
Sounds like: reh-truh-AK-tiv
👀
Looks Like
Looks like: retro + active
📝
Remember This
Retroactive combines retro- (backward) with -ive (forming an adjective). It often appears with laws, pay, or benefits that affect the past.
📚
Other Forms
retroactivelyadverb
retroactivitynoun
retroactivenessnoun
🔗
Connect With
retrospective, backdate, ex post facto, backdated
📌
Note
Use retroactive to describe actions that affect the past. For actions describing the manner of applying to the past, the adverb retroactively is appropriate.