>What does RetroVirus mean?
How a Retrovirus or RNA Virus Works
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-is-a-retrovirus-what-does-that-mean-3132822
Retroviruses are "retro" because they reverse the direction of the normal gene copying process. Usually, cells convert DNA into RNA so that it can be made into proteins. But with retroviruses, the process has to start by going backward. First, the viral RNA is transformed into DNA. Then the cell can copy the DNA. The cell can also transcribe the DNA back into RNA as the first step in making viral proteins.