Webster Essential Vocabulary

retroactive(RET roh AK tiv) adj. 1. affecting things that took place earlier;

2. going into effect at a specified date in the past
   
   
   • Despite the Constitution’s prohibiting ex post facto laws, many tax laws
     are retroactive.
   
   
   • The congressional budget is always retroactiveto the beginning of the
     current fiscal year, even though it is usually approved well after that date.
     [-ly adv.]
     retrospective (RET roh SPEK tiv) adj. 1. looking back on or toward the past;
   
   
   
   


3. applying to the past; retroactive —n.an exhibition of the lifetime work of a
   person (usually one in the arts); a compendium of one’s life’s work
   
   
   • It is often fun to take a retrospectivelook at one’s early years.
   
   
   • Beethoven’s work, in retrospective,changed classical music for all time.
   
   
   • The museum is having a retrospectiveon the works of Picasso next month.
     [-ly adv.]
     reveler(REV il oer) n. 1. one who is noisily partying; 2. one delighting in one’s
     freedom; 3. a merrymaker
   
   
   • Most college students become revelersat one time or another.
   
   
   • Some college students are revelersfor four years; then they spend the rest of
     their lives wondering why they did that.
     •A revelershould always have a designated driver preselected.
     [revel vi., revelry, reveller n.]
   
   
   
   

Quick Review #73.

Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.

204 Essential Vocabulary

1. resolute


2. resolution


3. resplendent


4. responsibility


5. restraint


6. retain


7. retroactive


8. retrospective


9. reveler

a. accountability

b. constraint

c. merrymaker

d. affecting earlier things

e. compendium

f. determined

g. dazzling

h. answer

i. keep

reverence(REV ir ins) n.1. a feeling of respect, love, and awe (as for something
sacred or venerated); 2. a gesture of respect to indicate same; 3. the state of being
regarded with deep respect

• Clergymen are often held by their flock in reverence.


• Reverenceis usually the proper attitude to assume during religious services
  and preparing for SAT exams.