Regressive (Adjective)
Meaning 1
(of taxes) adjusted so that the rate decreases as the amount of income increases.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- A regressive tax system disproportionately affects low-income individuals as they pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes.
- The regressive nature of the sales tax means that those with lower incomes spend a larger portion of their earnings on taxes.
- Critics argue that the flat tax rate is regressive, as it does not account for the varying levels of income among taxpayers.
- A regressive tax policy can exacerbate income inequality by placing a greater burden on those who can least afford it.
- The regressive tax structure has been criticized for failing to redistribute wealth and instead perpetuating economic disparities.
Antonyms
Meaning 2
Opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The regressive tax policy only serves to widen the income gap and stifle economic growth in low-income communities.
- Some argued that abandoning the wind farm project would be a regressive step, hindering efforts to switch to renewable energy.
- Despite warnings of severe climate consequences, the administration pursued a regressive energy policy centered around fossil fuels.
- Abandoning science-based learning and replacing it with biblical stories in school curriculum was widely regarded as regressive and antithetical to educational goals.
- Scientists also highlighted that accepting non-reproducible evidence for product effectiveness marked a regressive return to 18th-century-style validation standards.