retro

1 of 2

adjective

ret·​ro ˈre-(ˌ)trō 

: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past : fashionably nostalgic or old-fashioned

a retro look

retro noun

retro-

2 of 2

prefix

1

: backward : back

retro-rocket

2

: situated behind

retroperitoneal

Synonyms of retro

Adjective

• vintage
• antique

Examples of retro in a Sentence

Adjective

the retro look in fashion

retro fashions that seek to capture the lost glamour of Hollywood in the 1930s

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For now, analysts have Nike chief executive officer Elliott Hill’s promise that the team will introduce more than a dozen footwear styles that are all new instead of going back to the vault and doing old retro shoes. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

The fruits of their effort is now available for purchase online and in stores (a deluxe edition featuring an exclusive retro Trapper Keeper-style slipcase is available for purchase at Z2’s website). — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

All together, her Paris party attire nods to the past without actually feeling retro. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026

The Pocket Advance is one of the best retro handhelds currently available and not just because of its nostalgic retro design. — Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French rétro, short for rétrospectif retrospective

Prefix

Latin, from retro, from re- + -tro (as in intro within) — more at intro-

First Known Use

Adjective

1972, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing retro

• retro-rocket

Rhymes for retro

• nonmetro

Kids Definition

retro

1 of 2 adjective

ret·​ro ˈret-rō 

: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past

retro-

2 of 2 prefix

: backward : back

retro-rocket

Etymology

Prefix

derived from Latin re- "back, again" and Latin -tro (the final part of intro "within")