noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:R EH2 T R OW0 V AY1 R AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell, thus changing the genome of that cell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A computer virus that seeks to attack antivirus programs in an attempt to avoid detection.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: computer security
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
any of a group of viruses that contain two single-strand linear RNA molecules per virion and reverse transcriptase (RNA to DNA); the virus transcribes its RNA into a cDNA provirus that is then incorporated into the host cell
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: animal virus
Narrower terms: human T-cell leukemia virus-1, HTLV-1, human immunodeficiency virus, HIV
History
Etymology
From retro- + virus, from its reverse direction of replication.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Chinese Mandarin:
逆轉錄病毒 /逆转录病毒
(nìzhuǎnlù bìngdú)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Chinese Mandarin:
反轉錄病毒 /反转录病毒
(fǎnzhuǎnlù bìngdú)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Finnish:
retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
French:
rétrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
German:
Retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Greek:
ρετροϊός
(retroïós)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Hindi:
प्रतिविषाणु
(prativiṣāṇu)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Hungarian:
retrovírus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Icelandic:
víxlveira
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Icelandic:
retróveira
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Italian:
retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Japanese:
レトロウイルス
(retorouirusu)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Korean:
레트로바이러스
(reteurobaireoseu)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Polish:
retrowirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Portuguese:
retrovírus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Russian:
ретровирус
(retrovirus)
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Spanish:
retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
Swedish:
retrovirus
— any of a group of viruses which insert a copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell
