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RETROGRADE
Definition of RETROGRADE
adjective
Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
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.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
4 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
1st
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
30.6%
of traced words share this origin (25,330)
branch · 30.6% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, RETROGRADE · 2 relatives in the game
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
RETROGRADE in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 1 board so far.
It first turned up on Day 141, 8 October 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 26 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 141, 8 October 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
RETROGRADE starts with R and ends with E. Sorted, its letters read ADEEGORRRT - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. R and E appear more than once.
Words that start RETROG
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Could you have found RETROGRADE?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 141 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER