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Origin and history of regress

regress(n.)

late 14c., regresse, "a return, passage back, act of going back," from Latin regressus "a return, retreat, a going back," noun use of past participle of regredi "to go back," from re- "back" (see re-) + gradi "to step, walk" (from PIE root *ghredh- "to walk, go"). More common in legal language. Mental sense of "act of working back from an effect to a cause" is from 1610s.

regress(v.)

1550s, "to return to a former state or place, go back," from Latin regressus "a return, retreat, a going back," noun use of past participle of regredi "to go back," from re- "back" (see re-) + gradi "to step, walk" (from PIE root *ghredh- "to walk, go").

In astronomy, "appear to move in a backward direction," by 1823. The psychological sense of "to return to an earlier stage of life" is attested from 1926. Related: Regressed; regressing.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to regress

regression(n.)

early 15c., "act of passing back or returning," from Latin regressionem (nominative regressio) "a going back, a return," noun of action from past-participle stem of regredi "to go back" (see regress (n.)).

From 1590s as "act of returning toward a point of departure" (of fluids, spirits, actions, etc.); from 1640s as "return (to or into) a certain state or condition, relapse." Genetics sense is by 1885.

regressive(adj.)

1630s, "passing back, returning, acting in a backward direction;" see regress + -ive. Opposed to progressive. In reference to taxation that weighs proportionately heavier on those with lower incomes, it is attested by 1888. Related: Regressively; regressiveness; regressivity.

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progress
early 15., progresse, "a going on, action of walking forward," from Old French progres (Modern French progrès) and directly from Latin progressus "a going forward, an advance," noun of action from past-participle stem of progredi "go forward," from pro "forward" (see pro-) + grad
revert
c. 1300, reverten, "to come to oneself again, regain consciousness, recover from illness" (senses now obsolete), from Anglo-French reverter, Old French revertir "return, change back," from Vulgar Latin *revertire, variant of Latin revertere "turn back, turn about; come back, retu
return
early 14c., returnen, "to come back, come or go back to a former position" (intransitive), from Old French retorner, retourner "turn back, turn round, return" (Modern French retourner), from re- "back" (see re-) + torner "to turn" (see turn (v.)). Also in part from Medieval Latin
change
c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
decline
late 14c., "to turn aside, deviate" (a sense now archaic), also "sink to a lower level," and, figuratively, "fall to an inferior or impaired condition," from Old French decliner "to sink, decline, degenerate, turn aside," from Latin declinare "to lower; avoid, deviate; bend from,
recover
c. 1300, recoveren, "to regain consciousness," also "regain health or strength after sickness, injury, etc.," from Anglo-French rekeverer (13c.), Old French recovrer "come back, return; regain health; procure, get again" (11c.), from Medieval Latin recuperare "to recover" (source
decree
"special ordinance or regulation promulgated by authority," early 14c., originally ecclesiastical, secular use is by late 14c., from Old French decre, variant of decret (12c., Modern French décret), from Latin decretum, neuter of decretus, past participle of decernere "to decree,
recede
early 15c., receden, "to depart, go away," a sense now rare or obsolete; of things, "to move back, retreat, withdraw,"  from Old French receder and directly from Latin recedere "to go back, fall back; withdraw, depart, retire," from re- "back" (see re-) + cedere "to go" (fro
reserve
mid-14c., "keep back or in store for future use;" late 14c., "keep as one's own," from Old French reserver "set aside, withhold" (12c.) and directly from Latin reservare "keep back, save up; retain, preserve," from re- "back" (see re-) + servare "to keep, save, preserve, protect"
reverse
c. 1300, "opposite, contrary in position or direction, turned backward," from Old French revers "reverse, cross, opposite" (13c.) and directly from Latin reversus, past participle of revertere "turn back, turn about, come back, return" (see revert). In reference to a gear mechani

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