The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards; moving backwards; reverse; palindromic; opposed to change”) (modern French rétrograde), and from their etymon Latin retrōgradus (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards”) (compare Late Latin retrōgradus (“reverse; palindromic”)), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradus (“pace, step”). By surface analysis, retro- + -grade. The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.
Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
2
Reverting to an inferior or less developed state; declining, regressing.
3
Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology Of an animal: appearing to regress to a less developed form during its lifetime.
4
Of the order of something: inverse, reverse.
5
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Having a passage of music played backwards.
6
Of ideas or a person: opposing social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; conservative.
retrograde ideas, morals, etc.
Such retrograde people still exist, resisting modernity, dragging their feet.1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 74:
1 more example
[…] in the form of the pussyfooted Alexis Smith. While referring to [Cole] Porter's 1946 film (alleged) biography, Night and Day, she mentions there were "certain aspects of the story which at that time they could not do." Was "certain aspects" a euphemism for gay? Smith's misplaced politeness here is truly retrograde.1991 December 1, Rudy Grillo, “Who's The Top?”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 20, page 8:
7
Archaic Involving a return to or a retracing of a previous course of travel.
8
Archaic Counterproductive to a desired outcome; contradictory, contrary.
In going back to school in Wittenberg, / It is most retrograde to our desire: / And we beseech you, bend you to remainc. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
9
Astronomy, Natural sciences Of a celestial body orbiting another: in the opposite direction to the orbited body's spin.
10
Astrology, Astronomy, Human sciences, Mysticism, Natural sciences, Philosophy, SciencesAlso, Often, Postpositional Of a celestial body: seeming to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
Mercury retrograde
The inauspicious connotations of Mercury retrograde are actually quite old, evidenced in an ancient branch of astrology known as horary astrology.2018 March 22, Wilder Davies, “Mercury Is Entering Retrograde Again. This Is Why So Many People Care”, in Time, archived from the original on 09 Dec 2023:
11
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences Of a metamorphic change: resulting from a decrease in pressure or temperature.
12
Medicine, Sciences Of amnesia: relating to the period leading up to the episode which caused it.
The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards; moving backwards; reverse; palindromic; opposed to change”) (modern French rétrograde), and from their etymon Latin retrōgradus (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards”) (compare Late Latin retrōgradus (“reverse; palindromic”)), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradus (“pace, step”). By surface analysis, retro- + -grade. The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.
1
In a reverse direction; backwards.
retrograde
noun
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards; moving backwards; reverse; palindromic; opposed to change”) (modern French rétrograde), and from their etymon Latin retrōgradus (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards”) (compare Late Latin retrōgradus (“reverse; palindromic”)), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradus (“pace, step”). By surface analysis, retro- + -grade. The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.
1
A movement backwards or opposite to the intended or normal motion.
2
Astrology, Human sciences, Mysticism, Philosophy, Sciences The apparent movement of a planet across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
3
One who opposes social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; a conservative.
4
Archaic One who reneges on an agreement, or switches loyalties; a rebel, a renegade.
5
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The reversal of a melody so that what is played first in the original melody is played last, and what is played last in the original melody is played first.
retrograde
verb
Etymology From Middle French retrograder (“to (cause to) go back, return; to (cause to) move backwards; of a celestial object: to show retrograde motion; to date to an earlier period”) (modern French rétrograder), and from its etymon Latin retrōgradī (“to go or step back or backwards; of a celestial object: to show retrograde motion”) (compare Late Latin retrogradare, retrogradari, retrogredere), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradior (“to step, walk; to advance, go”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰredʰ- (“to go; to walk”)).
Geography, Natural sciences To cause (a land feature such as a coastline or waterfall) to undergo retrogradation, that is, to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion.
2
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences To change (minerals, rocks, etc.) metamorphically through a decrease in pressure or temperature.
3
Obsolete To cause (someone or something) to revert to an inferior or less developed state.
4
To revert to an inferior or less developed state; to decline, to regress.
[…] Monna Brigida, who had retrograded to false hair in Romola's absence, but now drew it off again and declared she would not mind being gray, if her dear child would stay with her.1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], Romola. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC, book III, page 260:
5
Astrology, Astronomy, Human sciences, Mysticism, Natural sciences, Philosophy, Sciences Of a celestial body, especially a planet: to show retrogradation; to seem to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
6
Geography, Natural sciences Of a land feature: to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion.
A dabble in the stocks does not always turn out profitably; cotton is sometimes heavy on our hands, and real estate will sulkily retrograde, when, by the calculation, it ought to have advanced.1845, Joseph C. Neal, “The Moral of Goslyne Greene, who was Born to a Fortune”, in The Gift: A Christmas, New Year, and Birthday Present, Philadelphia, Pa.: Carey and Hart, →OCLC, page 68:
9
Obsolete Of the telling of an incident, etc.: to move to an earlier time.