prograde

¹ American  

[proh-grayd] / ˈproʊˌgreɪd /

adjective

1. Astronomy. (of a planet or its movement) following a west-to-east direction, which appears counterclockwise when viewed from the celestial north pole or the north pole of the planet. Contrasts with retrograde.

2. Geology. relating to or being an instance of metamorphism caused by increased pressure or heat.

---

adverb

1. Astronomy. in a west-to-east direction, or counterclockwise when viewed from the celestial north pole or the north pole of the planet. Contrasts with retrograde.

verb (used without object)

prograded, prograding

1. Geology. to undergo progradation.

prograde ² American  

[proh-grayd] / ˈproʊˌgreɪd /

adjective

1. (of a device or piece of equipment) being of a grade or level of quality and performance suitable for professional use.

---

prograde Scientific  

/ prō′grād′ /

1. Having a rotational or orbital movement that is the same as most bodies within a celestial system. In our solar system, prograde movement for both rotating and orbiting bodies is in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from a vantage point above the Earth's north pole.

2. Compare retrograde

---

Other Word Forms

• progradation noun

Example Sentences

We call this “apparent prograde motion,” meaning forward motion.

From Scientific American • Aug. 17, 2023

After a while they reach another stationary point and resume prograde motion again.

From Scientific American • Dec. 14, 2021

Remarkably, an analysis of data from the Hubble Space Telescope and other sources has shown that the Kuiper Belt’s oldest binaries exhibit exactly this effect, with the vast majority displaying prograde orbits.

From Scientific American • Feb. 20, 2020

Two of the new prograde moons appear to belong to a group that swings around Saturn at an angle of about 46 degrees.

From The Guardian • Oct. 7, 2019

Only three of the new moons have so-called prograde orbits, meaning they circle Saturn in the same direction that it rotates.

From The Guardian • Oct. 7, 2019