Rückläufige

Rückläufige is a German adjective meaning "decreasing," "declining," or "retrograde." It is derived from the verb "rückläufig sein," which translates to "to be decreasing" or "to be in decline." The term is commonly used in various contexts to describe a downward trend or a movement in reverse.

In economics, "rückläufige Zahlen" refers to decreasing figures or negative growth rates. For example, a company might report rückläufige Umsätze, meaning declining sales. Similarly, "rückläufige Inflation" indicates a decrease in the rate of price increases.

In astronomy, "rückläufige Bewegung" describes retrograde motion, which is the apparent backward movement of celestial objects like planets in the night sky as observed from Earth. This phenomenon is due to the relative orbital speeds and positions of Earth and the other celestial bodies.

The word can also be used in a more general sense. For instance, "rückläufige Tendenzen" might refer to declining popularity or a decrease in the frequency of something. The core meaning consistently revolves around a movement or trend that is going backward or downward. The opposite of rückläufig is "steigend" or "zunehmend," meaning increasing or rising.