retrograde.

1. Moving opposite a relevant body's rotation or the usual orbital direction in a system.

2. Appearing from an observer's changing viewpoint to move opposite the usual direction against the background stars.

3. Returning toward an earlier condition or reversing progress.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• retrograde orbit
• retrograde rotation

On the page

The satellite entered a retrograde orbit over the abandoned continent.

A retrograde moon complicated the planned rendezvous.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Normally non-gradable in this technical classification; degree language only if a specific measurable context supports it. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.