backward compatible

adjective

variants or less commonly backwards compatible

: compatible with older equipment or previous versions of software

Dolby Digital is backward compatible and supports earlier versions of Dolby such as Pro Logic.

—Consumer Reports

backward compatibility noun

or less commonly backwards compatibility

Examples of backward compatible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nintendo Switch 2 is also backward compatible with original Switch games, but will those older games receive improvements? —Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025

Ensure that new or enhanced features are backward compatible and are optional and easy to adopt. —Henry Helgeson, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Every version of Bluetooth is backward compatible, meaning a Bluetooth 5.3 device can connect to a Bluetooth 4.0 device. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025

Second, there may be some who simply don’t see the need to upgrade, especially if a lot of the draw of the Switch 2 is its ability to be backward compatible, so much of its catalog will be from last gen for a while. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backward compatible

• incompatible
• biocompatible
• ratable
• rateable