Retrogradely

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a fashion that is marked by a backward movement or a reversion to an earlier state
2. In a mode that signifies a retreat or a return to prior circumstances
3. In a way that moves backward or reverses direction

Etymology: "Retrogradely" is simply "retrograde" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so the history is mostly that of its base word. "Retrograde" comes from Latin "retrogradus," built from "retro," meaning "backward," and "gradus," meaning "step" or "degree," so the core image is of stepping or walking back. The adjective reached English in the sense of moving or turning backward, and in astronomy it describes planets that appear to move westward against the stars. The ending "-ly" has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from an Old English form "-līce," which was attached to adjectives to produce adverbs, and that form grew out of a Germanic root tied to the idea of body or form, so "-ly" carries an older sense of "in the manner of" something. In Middle English the ending shortened to "-ly," the form it keeps today.

Synonyms: backwardly, regressively

Antonyms: forwards, progressively