retroactively

adverb/ˌrɛtroʊˈæktɪvli/

Frequency rank: #13,835 most common English word

Meaning

Taking effect from a date in the past, before a law or decision was officially made.

Illustration for the English word “retroactively”

Example sentence

The new tax law was applied retroactively to cover income earned in the previous year.

Synonyms & related words

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