proactive
Americanadjective
adjective
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tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events
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psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process
Usage
What does proactive mean? Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Actions that are proactive are initiated not in reaction to a situation but instead out of a desire to make a positive change, prepare for a situation, or prevent something from happening. Proactive is commonly used to describe people who take such actions. It’s also commonly used in the phrase proactive measures, meaning proactive actions, especially those done to prevent a negative situation. Example: Henry credits most of his success to being proactive instead of waiting for opportunities to come to him.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of proactive
Explanation
The adjective proactive can describe a person who gets things done. If you are proactive, you make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you. Active means "doing something." The prefix pro- means "before." So if you are proactive, you are ready before something happens. The opposite is being reactive, or waiting for things to unfold before responding. Think about winter cold season. A proactive person washes his hands and takes vitamins; a reactive person gets sick and takes cold medicine.
Vocabulary lists containing proactive
NAEP Test Words
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Just Do It: Act
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some policymakers have embraced more proactive attempts to directly address the rise in key prices, including the greater use of reserves of energy and food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
AI agents are becoming more proactive in encouraging user engagement.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The company, which did not address the specific claims, said it had taken "proactive industrial health measures including the development of a comprehensive support and compensation plan".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
"That tragedy cannot be undone," Wisner said, calling for legal reform, proactive regulation and proper governmental oversight.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
She was candid with me about how she’d misjudged the country’s readiness to have a proactive professional woman in the role of First Lady.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
