regression
/rɪˈɡreʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪˈɡreʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ri-ˈgre-shən/ (ame, mw)
regression — noun
- regressionsingular
- regressionsplural
1. a situation where a person, society, or system moves back to a condition that is
a situation where a person, society, or system moves back to a condition that is more basic or poorer than what had been achieved before — for example, when a country's economy shrinks after years of growth, or when a student's language skills drop after months without practice.
After the earthquake, the region suffered a serious economic regression that took years to reverse.
collocation: economic regression
Mathieu noticed a regression in his Mandarin fluency after spending a year in Mexico.
pattern: regression + in + [skill/ability]
The new law was seen as a regression to outdated policies from the 1980s that had failed before.
Critics called the factory's safety downgrade a clear regression in workplace standards.
- decline
focuses on gradual loss of quality rather than return to an earlier state
- backslide
more informal, often about personal habits or moral standards
- retreat
can describe movement away from progress, but often implies deliberate choice
- reversal
emphasises a complete change to the opposite direction, not necessarily to a prior state
- progress
forward movement or development toward a better state
- advancement
formal, emphasises improvement or forward momentum
文法句型
regression + in/to/toward + noun phrase
a regression + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with prepositions 'in' (regression in quality/skills) or 'to' (regression to an earlier state). The opposite is 'progress' or 'improvement'.
常見錯誤
2. the process in which a disease, a tumour, or its symptoms become smaller, weaker
the process in which a disease, a tumour, or its symptoms become smaller, weaker, or less severe — for example, when a cancerous growth shrinks after treatment, or when a fever goes down over time.
The MRI scan confirmed a marked regression of the tumour after four chemotherapy sessions.
collocation: regression of + [tumour/disease]
Hassan felt hopeful when the doctor reported regression of his father's lung infection.
Doctors monitor the regression of symptoms closely before deciding to reduce the medication dose.
Without immediate treatment, the chance of natural regression in this type of tumour is very low.
- remission
specifically of disease symptoms disappearing for a period; stronger than regression
- subsidence
formal, of swelling, inflammation, or fever going down
- abatement
formal, of symptoms or intensity decreasing
- progression
the spread or worsening of a disease
- worsening
everyday term for deterioration of medical condition
文法句型
regression + of + [disease/symptom]
用法筆記
This medical sense is the opposite of 'progression' (disease getting worse). Do NOT confuse with sense 1 (which means getting worse in general) — only sense 2 describes improvement. Frequently used in oncology and clinical reports.
常見錯誤
3. a mental process in which a person, especially under stress or threat, starts be
a mental process in which a person, especially under stress or threat, starts behaving in ways that belong to a younger period of life — for example, an adult who throws a tantrum like a child when faced with criticism at work.
Devika's regression to thumb-sucking during exams was a clear sign of heightened anxiety.
pattern: regression + to + [behaviour]
The psychologist explained that temporary regression in children is normal after a big move or a new sibling arrival.
domain-specific: psychological regression in children
Romi's regression into baby talk whenever her mother visited puzzled her husband.
Some adults experience age regression in therapy as a way to revisit and heal childhood memories.
- reversion
more general term for returning to a prior state; not specific to psychology
- retrogression
formal synonym, rarer, emphasises backward development
- development
forward progression through developmental stages
- maturation
the process of becoming emotionally and mentally mature
文法句型
regression + to + [earlier developmental stage]
regression + into + [childlike behaviour]
用法筆記
In psychology, this is a recognised defence mechanism (first described by Freud). Distinguish from sense 1: psychological regression is about reverting to an earlier developmental stage, not about general decline. Common in clinical and developmental psychology contexts.
4. a method used in statistics to study how two or more measured variables are conn
a method used in statistics to study how two or more measured variables are connected and to use that connection to predict the value of one variable from the others — for example, using people’s years of education and work experience to estimate their likely salary.
The research team applied a linear regression model to forecast electricity demand for the next decade.
collocation: linear regression model
Layla ran a regression analysis linking study hours, sleep, and exam scores in her psychology project.
collocation: regression analysis
Multiple regression can help a business understand which factors most strongly influence customer satisfaction.
Asher learned to interpret regression output in his data science class by plotting predicted values against actual ones.
- regression analysis
a synonym; more explicitly names the analytical process
文法句型
regression + model/analysis/line
linear/multiple/logistic + regression
用法筆記
By far the most common technical sense of 'regression' in academic and professional contexts. 'Linear regression' assumes a straight-line relationship between variables; 'multiple regression' uses two or more predictor variables. Always statistical unless the context explicitly names psychology or medicine.