Retcon definition

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the verb retcon. OED's earliest retcon definition for retcon is fromin a message posted on the Usenet newsgroup rec. Etymons: retroactive continuity n. Sign in with library card.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retcon. Send us feedback about these examples. The term was popularized by comics fandom—but that's not where it originated. Accessed 2 Mar. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! See Definitions and Examples ». Dictionary Definition.

Retcon definition

Translation of retcon — English—Traditional Chinese dictionary. Add to word list Add to word list. Retcon is short for "Retroactive Continuity". Examples of retcon. The writers also created a number of retcon storylines during the s. From Wikipedia. A retcon might equally well convert an established history into a secret history. This retcon was in turn retconned in more recent comics. The occasional publishing use of retroactive continuity retcon often occurs due to this kind of revision or oversight. Morrison has expressed criticism of this subsequent retcon in interviews. As a story element, the character was both a retcon and a plot instigation. The most severe form of retcon involves a wholesale rewrite of the groundwork for the entire setting.

All-Star Squadron was set during World War II on Earth-Two; as it was in the past of an alternate universe, all its events had repercussions on the contemporary continuity retcon definition the DC multiverse. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Sign in with library card.

Retcon has had a busy life for such a young word. In the span of a few decades it has managed to become an abbreviation, change from a noun to a verb, and move from the jargon-filled chat rooms of the Internet to general parlance. Though Sherlock Holmes died at the Reichenbach Falls, the author, Arthur Conan Doyle, retroactively declared that his death had been staged in what has been described as an early example of a retcon. Retcon is a shortened form of retroactive continuity , and refers to a literary device in which the form or content of a previously established narrative is changed. Essentially, a retcon allows an author to have his or her cake and eat it too, as it enables the return of dead characters, the revision of unpopular elements of a work, and a general disregard for reality.

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun retcon. OED's earliest evidence for retcon is from , in a message posted on the Usenet newsgroup rec. Etymons: retroactive continuity n. Sign in with library card. Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic.

Retcon definition

Add to word list Add to word list. Retcon is short for " retroactive continuity ":. Retcons are usually done for the sake of the plot at hand. The scenes set in in "Selfless" are basically retcon. It isn't a total retcon. I never considered Anya's human past a retcon.

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Video Build your vocabulary. ISBN Retcons are usually done for the sake of the plot at hand. Retroactive continuity , or retcon for short, is a literary device in which facts in the world of a fictional work that have been established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work that recontextualizes or breaks continuity with the former. What does the verb retcon mean? Log In. Definition of retcon from the Collins English Dictionary. With so many long-running movie and TV franchises, the word "retcon" is often thrown around, but what does it mean in this context? English idioms. Feedback required. Choose your language.

Take Star Wars , for example. When Disney took over, Star Wars had much of its canon reduced to nothing more than legends, effectively retconning various story elements. Various other films have taken multiple approaches to ignoring previously established stories, re-explaining previously explained things, or offering new perspectives to things we thought we knew.

A retcon might equally well convert an established history into a secret history. Talk about a retcon by another name! See pronunciation. Okay, so Superboy never existed; we'd already figured that. Semi-bilingual Dictionaries. However, in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , it was revealed that a person's ability to master the Force depended on the number of Midi-chlorians in their blood. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retcon. For the whole season , Buffy has been gradually retconning her relationship with Spike. The character has done everything from going into dormancy after losing his powers to being destroyed to being brought back via retcon … — Sage Ashford. These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web.