proactive

American  

[proh-ak-tiv] / proʊˈæk tɪv /

adjective

1. serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or challenging one; anticipatory.

   The new guidelines will help industry employers develop proactive measures to keep their workplaces safe.

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proactive British  

/ prəʊˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events

2. psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process

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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

• proactive
  noun
• proactiveness
  noun
• proactivity
  noun
• proactively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of proactive

First recorded in 1930–35; pro- ¹ + active

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.

Example Sentences

She previously covered equities as a reporter at Sharecast and Proactive Investors in London.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Ian Hulme, from the ICO, said: "Waiting for performance issues or a ransom note to discover a breach is not acceptable. Proactive security is a legal requirement, not an optional extra."

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Emily Jarvie of Proactive Investors also noted ahead of Tuesday's earnings release that "China is a key market for Qwen, as OpenAI's ChatGPT is not available".

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

Proactive employer policies aimed at diversifying the applicant pool could have nipped these inequities in the bud before they led to litigation.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2025

And the Open Arms, a venerable tugboat turned rescue vessel, and its crew from the Spanish charity Proactive Open Arms were already docked in the serene waters of Larnaca’s port.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2024