mindmap root((RETRO)) retroactive Intended to apply or take effect at a date in the past.
🌱The fact that the tax hike was retroactive annoyed the public the most. 🌳We normally think of time as constantly moving forward. Since retroactive seems to defy time's forward movement, retroactive taxes, laws, and regulations are often seen as particularly obnoxious and unfair. （See also）ex post facto. But nobody ever objects to receiving a retroactive raise at work. When we judge historical people and events in terms of present-day morality and attitudes, our retroactive judgments may indicate that we're too impressed with ourselves and ignorant of history. retrofit To furnish something with new or modified parts or equipment that was optional or unavailable at the time of manufacture.
🌱The office building has been retrofitted with air-conditioning, but the result has been a mixed success. 🌳The concept of retrofitting became an urgent necessity during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology. Retrofitting was revived on a massive scale during the energy crisis of the 1970s, when new features were added to millions of old houses to make them more energy-efficient. Retrofitting is thus different from merely renovating, which may not involve any new technology at all. retrogress To return to an earlier and usually worse or more primitive state.
🌱According to the tests, the sophomores had actually retrogressed in the course of spring term. 🌳As you might guess, retrogress is the opposite of progress. Retrogression is usually an undesirable decline from a higher or advanced level. So, for instance, in difficult social situations an adolescent can retrogress to a childish level of maturity. And under the extreme conditions of total war, a whole society may retrogress to a primitive state. The increasing number of poor or homeless people has been seen as evidence of modern social retrogression, and the rise of loud, name-calling TV and radio personalities strikes many people as a sign of political retrogression. retrospective A generally comprehensive exhibition or performance usually covering an artist's output to date.
🌱A retrospective covering the photographer's entire career is forcing critics to revise their earlier estimates of her status as an artist. 🌳Retrospective is partly rooted in the Latin verb specere,"to look," so a retrospective is a look back at an artist's career. The subject of a retrospective is usually an older living artist, or one who has recently died. Galleries and museums honor painters and sculptors, film festivals honor directors and actors, and concert organizations honor composers. Retrospectives can be difficult and expensive to assemble, so they're rarely put together except for deserving artists; the result is that they frequently win many new fans for the person's achievement.