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• pro
  pro

  adverb

  in favor of a proposition, opinion, etc.
• Pro
  Pro

  abbreviation

  proline.
• PRO
  PRO

  public relations officer.
• pro-
  pro-

  a prefix indicating favor for some party, system, idea, etc., without identity with the group (pro-British; pro-Communist; proslavery ), having anti- as its opposite.

pro

¹ American  

[proh] / proʊ /

adverb

1. in favor of a proposition, opinion, etc.

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noun

• pros
  plural

1. a proponent of an issue; a person who upholds the affirmative in a debate.

2. an argument, consideration, vote, etc., for something.

pro ² American  

[proh] / proʊ /

adjective

1. professional.

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noun

• pros
  plural

1. a professional.

2. the pros, the professional athletic leagues, as of football, baseball, or basketball.

   He's sure to be signed by the pros.

pro ³ American  

[proh] / proʊ /

noun

Slang.

• pros
  plural

1. prophylactic.

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pro ⁴ American  

[proh] / proʊ /

preposition

Latin.

1. for.

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Pro ⁵ American  

abbreviation

Biochemistry.

1. proline.

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PRO ⁶ American  

Or P.R.O.

1. public relations officer.

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pro- ⁷ American  

1. a prefix indicating favor for some party, system, idea, etc., without identity with the group (pro-British; pro-Communist; proslavery ), having anti- as its opposite.

2. a prefix of priority in space or time having especially a meaning of advancing or projecting forward or outward, and also used to indicate substitution, attached widely to stems not used as words.

   provision; prologue; proceed; produce; protract; procathedral; proconsul.

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pro- ⁸ American  

1. a prefix identical in meaning with pro-1 , occurring in words borrowed from Greek (prodrome ) or formed of Greek (and occasionally Latin) elements.

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pro ¹ British  

/ prəʊ /

adverb

1. in favour of a motion, issue, course of action, etc Compare anti

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preposition

1. in favour of

noun

1. (usually plural) an argument or vote in favour of a proposal or motion See also pros and cons

2. (usually plural) a person who votes in favour of a proposal, motion, etc

pro ² British  

/ prəʊ /

noun

1. informal short for professional

2. slang a prostitute

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abbreviation

1. professional practitioner

adjective

1. informal short for professional

PRO ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Public Records Office

2. public relations officer

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pro- ⁴ British  

prefix

1. in favour of; supporting

   pro-Chinese

2. acting as a substitute for

   proconsul

   pronoun

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pro- ⁵ British  

prefix

1. before in time or position; anterior; forward

   prophase

   procephalic

   prognathous

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pro¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Latin prō (preposition) “in favor of, on behalf of,” akin to Greek pró, Sanskrit pra; see also for, per ( def. )

Origin of pro²

First recorded in 1840–50; by shortening

Origin of pro³

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Origin of pro-⁷

< Latin prō-, pro-, combining form representing prō pro ¹

Origin of pro-⁸

< Greek, combining form of pró for, before; see pro ¹

Explanation

Pro is a Latin root word meaning for. If you make a list of pros and cons, you are listing the reasons for doing something and the reasons not to, respectively. Pro is also the shortened form of the word "professional," often referring to professional sports. If your cousin plays college basketball — and he's really good — he'll have to decide if he is going to turn pro or finish college first. The shortened form isn't always about sports, however. You might handle your little sister's bicycle accident like a pro, cleaning her up, sticking bandages on her knees, and handing her a lollipop.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pro Pro PRO pro- pros

In a first for the show, celebrity and pro pairings were revealed via three dance routines.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

After Jarmond was fired, Harris was appointed on a pro bono basis ahead of a search to fill the role.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

It found nothing wrong with the practice so long as the benefit was not offered as a quid pro quo to a particular voter.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of about $5 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

And in truth he never really played pro basketball.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

Not bad for something that looks like you could find at Bass Pro Shops, among the tackleboxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

He is a full-time professional wrestler and head coach at the Relentless Pro Wrestling Academy in Larne.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The 18 Pro also has a new A20 Pro chip.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

The 72-year-old was Ronaldo's club boss last season, when the pair helped Al-Nassr win the Saudi Pro League for the first time in seven years.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Pro Bono and I sought out the body of my tutor, where he leaned against a tree.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell is a useful measuring stick, since it’s sold both to the cloud providers and the companies that would otherwise rent from them.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

The storage company on Monday announced new branding for its solid-state drives, including what are now known as the Optimus GX PRO drives.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 6, 2026

Maybe the closest antecedent is a new, $85 million HUD program called “Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing,” or PRO Housing, which this summer issued 17 grants of a few million dollars each.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2024

With the two sides far apart, PRO brought in replacement officials to start the MLS season, but there really is no replacing the regular ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2024

"Tush, that was my own private promise, Monsieur; my own private prediction of what would happen; a thing PRO FORMA", and to save Madame Denis's life.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16 by Thomas Carlyle

Calling both pro- and anti-ICE beliefs “deeply American sentiments,” he asked viewers to “find a way to live with people who are genuinely different from us” and to “make things better and keep things decent.”

From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026

Kennedy said the change would improve public trust by ensuring members of the committee didn’t have “any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025

He plunged into a series of marathon meetings with local officials, business leaders, and pro- and anti-independence groups.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2024

The scientists identified the specific groups of neurons in the vagus nerve and in the cNST that help detect and control pro- and anti-inflammatory activity.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024

NOTE.—In a few instances pro- is changed into pur-, as purpose; into por-, as portray; and into pol-, as pollute.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

There are some pros, my friend, and a few cons.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The AI revolution is happening and there are clearly pros and cons to Scotland being at the heart of it.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Third-year pros Kinchens and McCollough have displayed ball-hawking skills during their careers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

He’ll have to wait until college or the pros to show off his hurdling skills in a football uniform.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

My dad really hopes he will make it to the pros and play for the Steelers.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

Related Words

• ace
• expert
• professional