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retro

retros

Retro things imitate a style from the past. A retro diner might serve 1950s-style milkshakes and be decorated like a diner from that era, but the prices will be much more modern.

If you like retro clothes, you probably shop online and at thrift shops, where you can find pants from the 70s and prom dresses from the 50s. Retro music is heavily influenced by past genres, like rockabilly or doo-wop. You can also use retro as a noun: "I'm really into retro when it comes to cars." The word was first used in the 1970s in French, rétro, short for rétrograde, from the Latin retrogradi, "move backward."

Definitions of retro
  1. adjective
    affecting things past
    retro pay”
    synonyms: ex post facto, retroactive
    retrospective
    concerned with or related to the past
  2. noun
    a fashion reminiscent of the past
    see moresee less
    type of:
    fashion
    the latest and most admired style in clothes and cosmetics and behavior
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘retro'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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