regression

[ ri-gresh-uhn ]

noun

1. the act of going back to a previous place or state; return or reversion.
2. retrogradation; retrogression.
3. Biology. reversion to an earlier or less advanced state or form or to a common or general type.
4. Psychoanalysis. the reversion to a chronologically earlier or less adapted pattern of behavior and feeling.
5. a subsidence of a disease or its manifestations:

   a regression of symptoms.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or determined by regression analysis:

   regression curve; regression equation.

regression

/ rɪˈɡrɛʃən /

noun

1. psychol the adoption by an adult or adolescent of behaviour more appropriate to a child, esp as a defence mechanism to avoid anxiety
2. statistics
   1. the analysis or measure of the association between one variable (the dependent variable) and one or more other variables (the independent variables), usually formulated in an equation in which the independent variables have parametric coefficients, which may enable future values of the dependent variable to be predicted
   2. ( as modifer )

      regression curve

3. astronomy the slow movement around the ecliptic of the two points at which the moon's orbit intersects the ecliptic. One complete revolution occurs about every 19 years
4. geology the retreat of the sea from the land
5. the act of regressing

regression

/ rĭ-grĕsh′ən /

1. A subsiding of the symptoms or process of a disease.
2. The return of a population to an earlier or less complex physical type in successive generations.
3. The relationship between the mean value of a random variable and the corresponding values of one or more independent variables.
4. A relative fall in sea level resulting in deposition of terrestrial strata over marine strata.
5. Compare transgression
6. Retrograde motion of a celestial body.

regression

1. A Freudian concept used by psychiatrists to signify a return to primitive or impulsive behavior after more mature behavior has been learned. ( See also defense mechanism , id , and libido .)

Other Words From

• nonre·gression noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of regression¹

First recorded in 1510–20, regression is from the Latin word regressiōn- (stem of regressiō ). See regress, -ion

Example Sentences

Perhaps, then, the story about big cities softening up on Trump reflects not the salience of place and an attention to local governance, but a decline of those things, and a regression of the metropolitan voter toward the national mean.

From Slate

The Dodgers, however, are hopeful Ohtani won’t endure any such regression, and that the impact of his labrum surgery will only be minimal.

From Los Angeles Times

Some regression is to be expected, of course.

From Los Angeles Times

Will Smith’s statistical regression has illustrated his struggles to hone in on his best swing — one the Dodgers are hoping has started to reappear in recent weeks.

From Los Angeles Times

For the purposes of the playoff odds simulation, we are calculating a value of SRS using each team’s previous 100 games, adding in 50 games of .500 ball for regression to the mean.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• backsliding
• relapse