RETROACTIVE Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

retroactive

adjective

Definition of retroactive

as in retrospective

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retroactive Her sentence was later reduced by one year following a retroactive change to the federal sentencing guidelines, while earned time through the First Step Act also shortened her time in prison. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 The new release date was the result of a retroactive change to federal sentencing guidelines and earned time through the First Step Act. — Taylor Dunn, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 The couple had sought retroactive approval for the parking structure, which had already been built the previous year. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 The state should eliminate the retroactive application of the tax and apply it from the date the law was enacted. — Michael Wolfe, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retroactive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retroactive

Adjective

But Chee’s first-person, present-tense narration differs from most in being, in a seeming paradox, retrospective.

— Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
At the conclusion of the film, Boyle will return to the stage and join yours truly for an hourlong career-retrospective conversation that will be recorded for subsequent airing on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast.

— Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of retrospective

Adjective

The old hand-off between operational and analytical data must therefore become a closed loop, with sensing, inference and execution happening in near real time.

— Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Federal staff also completed an audit in September on an advanced analytical model for seismic assessment.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of analytic

Adjective

Through a meditative duet between the performer’s cognition and their autonomic nervous system, activities that were largely imperceptible to an outside observer became known to the performer.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Guides recommend doing it three or more times to settle into a more meditative state of mind.

— Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of meditative

Adjective

This in-shower treatment smooths the cuticle for reflective, glass-like shine, leaving strands softer, silkier, and ultra-glossy in just one minute.

— Madison San Miguel, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
De Baise explained that this is reflective of a popular footwear trend of the ’90s, a decade Vaccarello is widely known to be aesthetically attached to.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of reflective

Adjective

Her honeyed vocals are a powerful pairing for this track’s lilting, contemplative production.

— Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
And in Walworth County, travelers will find more of that contemplative, fall experience, according to Emma Lowecki, director of guest experience at The Belfry House.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of contemplative

Adjective

Now five decades in the business, the company framed the launch as the next logical step for a brand with products that are built to last and to be passed on between friends, families, and now shoppers.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Eight of the trophies the club won under Mansour came during the years under investigation, so handing them over to the teams that finished behind City while following the rules seems like a logical solution.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of logical

Adjective

Set on the eve of the Korean war, this ruminative story follows a midwestern family that’s fractured by a mother’s sudden disappearance.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow.

— Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026

Definition of ruminative

Browse Nearby Words

retro

retroactive

retrofit

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Style

“Retroactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retroactive. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of retroactive

adjective

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