First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1regress
noun re·gress \ˈrē-ˌgres\
Definition of REGRESS
1
a : an act or the privilege of going or coming back b : reentry 1
2
: movement backward to a previous and especially worse or more primitive state or condition
3
: the act of reasoning backward
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of REGRESS
Middle English regresse, from Anglo-French, from Latin regressus, from regredi to go back, from re- + gradi to go — more at grade
Rhymes with REGRESS
abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress
2regress
verb re·gress \ri-ˈgres\
: to return to an earlier and usually worse or less developed condition or state
Full Definition of REGRESS
intransitive verb
1
a : to make or undergo regress : retrograde b : to be subject to or exhibit regression
2
: to tend to approach or revert to a mean
transitive verb
: to induce a state of psychological regression in
— re·gres·sor \-ˈgre-sər\ noun
See regress defined for English-language learners
See regress defined for kids
First Known Use of REGRESS
1552
Medical Dictionary
regress
intransitive verb re·gress \ri-ˈgres\
Medical Definition of REGRESS
: to undergo or exhibit regression <a regressing lesion>
transitive verb
: to induce a state of psychological regression in <regress a hypnotized subject>
Learn More About REGRESS
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: regressionPrevious Word in the Dictionary: regreetsAll Words Near: regress
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up regress? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).