[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/retrograde.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / retrograde

[← R](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/R/)

# retrograde

«retrograde» in Mova's school dictionary: **Going backwards, or getting worse instead of better** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (retrograde); verb (retrograde — rare); noun (retrograde — rare)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Going backwards, or getting worse instead of better. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#m1)

2) (science, astronomy) Moving in the direction opposite to the usual one; for example, a planet seeming to move backwards across the night sky. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#m2)

3) (medicine) «Retrograde amnesia» is losing memories from before an injury. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science and astronomy it describes «retrograde motion»: planets like Mars seem to go backwards for a while because Earth overtakes them. In news and history «a retrograde step» is a change that makes things worse. In astrology people talk of «Mercury in retrograde», which is not science. Phrases: «a retrograde step», «retrograde motion», «in retrograde».

### examples

- Closing the library would be a retrograde step. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x1)
- Mars shows retrograde motion in the night sky. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x2)
- Venus spins in a retrograde direction, opposite to most planets. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x3)
- After the fall, he had retrograde amnesia and forgot the morning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x4)
- Some moons orbit in a retrograde way. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x5)
- Going back to the old rules felt retrograde. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/#x6)

### note

Formal. Myth: planets do not really turn round; it only looks that way from Earth. Claims that «Mercury retrograde» causes bad luck are astrology, not science. Opposite: «progressive».

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «retrograde» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retrograde/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.