regression

C2+ Topic:Family & Relationships

US /rɪˈɡrɛʃən/ UK /rɪˈɡrɛʃən/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a return to an earlier or less developed state; a statistical relationship

Under stress the child showed a regression to thumb-sucking.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a return to an earlier or... reversion retrogression relapse decline backsliding deterioration

Opposites

progression advancement improvement

Word family

Related forms regressregressiveprogress gradient

Etymology

From Latin regressionem ('a going back'), from regredi ('to go back'), from re- ('back') + gradi ('to step, walk'), from gradus ('step').

re- Latin regredi Latin gradi Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Family & Relationships Word Formation & Derivatives

# regression

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** rɪˈɡrɛʃən
**IPA (UK):** rɪˈɡrɛʃən

## Meanings
1. a return to an earlier or less developed state; a statistical relationship

## Examples
- Under stress the child showed a regression to thumb-sucking.

## Synonyms
- reversion
- retrogression
- relapse
- decline
- backsliding
- deterioration

## Antonyms
- progression
- advancement
- improvement

## Related Forms
- regress
- regressive
- progress
- gradient

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: re-
- Root: regredi
- Root: gradi

## Etymology
From Latin regressionem ('a going back'), from regredi ('to go back'), from re- ('back') + gradi ('to step, walk'), from gradus ('step').

## AI Etymology
Regression comes from Latin regressionem ('a going back'), from regredi ('to go back'), from re- ('back') + gradi ('to step, walk'), from gradus ('step'). The historical chain includes Latin re-, Latin regredi, and Latin gradi. Older glosses in the chain include "a going back", "to go back", "back", and "to step, walk", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, regression is best read as compound and borrowing, yielding an English noun shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a noun, with the sense "a return to an earlier or less developed state; a statistical relationship". related forms include regress, regressive, progress, and gradient. The result is an English noun whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

## Topics
- Family & Relationships
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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