progressive

[ pruh-gres-iv ]

/ prəˈgrɛs ɪv /

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See synonyms for: progressive / progressives on Thesaurus.com

adjective

favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters: a progressive mayor.

making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.: a progressive community.

characterized by such progress, or by continuous improvement.

Progressive, of or relating to any of the Progressive parties in politics.

going forward or onward; passing successively from one member of a series to the next; proceeding step by step.

noting or pertaining to a form of taxation in which the rate increases with certain increases in taxable income.

of or relating to progressive education: progressive schools.

Grammar. noting a verb aspect or other verb category that indicates action or state going on at a temporal point of reference.

Medicine/Medical. continuously increasing in extent or severity, as a disease.

noun

a person who is progressive or who favors progress or reform, especially in political matters.

Progressive, a member of a Progressive party.

Grammar.

the progressive aspect.
a verb form or construction in the progressive, as are thinking in They are thinking about it.

OTHER WORDS FOR progressive

1 liberal.

5 consecutive, successive; straight, continuous.

See synonyms for progressive on Thesaurus.com

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There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of progressive

First recorded in 1600–10; progress + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM progressive

pro·gres·sive·ly, adverbpro·gres·sive·ness, pro·gres·siv·i·ty

[proh-gre-siv-i-tee], /ˌproʊ grɛˈsɪv ɪ ti/, nounan·ti·pro·gres·sive, adjectivenon·pro·gres·sive, adjective, noun

non·pro·gres·sive·ness, nounqua·si-pro·gres·sive, adjectivesem·i·pro·gres·sive, adjective, nounsem·i·pro·gres·sive·ness, nounul·tra·pro·gres·sive, adjective, nounul·tra·pro·gres·sive·ness, nounun·pro·gres·sive, adjectiveun·pro·gres·sive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use progressive in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Weiss is likely to get confirmed even as Warren and a handful of other progressive Democrats vote no.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton|Eleanor Clift|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An atheist counsels his fellow non-believers on how not to talk to people of faith.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He also states that the Audiencia is virtually non-existent, and so there is no high court in which justice may be sought.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The act, however, is a progressive piece of legislation and creates new conditions as the result of its own operation.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
De moi, je ne say qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay vidence.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Certes le capitaine Merveilles et ses gens monstrerent leur pit non vulgaire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for progressive (1 of 2)

progressive

/ (prəˈɡrɛsɪv) /

adjective

of or relating to progress

proceeding or progressing by steps or degrees

(often capital) favouring or promoting political or social reform through government action, or even revolution, to improve the lot of the majoritya progressive policy

denoting or relating to an educational system that allows flexibility in learning procedures, based on activities determined by the needs and capacities of the individual child, the aim of which is to integrate academic with social development

(of a tax or tax system) graduated so that the rate increases relative to the amount taxedCompare regressive (def. 2)

(esp of a disease) advancing in severity, complexity, or extent

(of a dance, card game, etc) involving a regular change of partners after one figure, one game, etc

denoting an aspect of verbs in some languages, including English, used to express prolonged or continuous activity as opposed to momentary or habitual activitya progressive aspect of the verb ``to walk'' is ``is walking.''

noun

a person who advocates progress, as in education, politics, etc

the progressive aspect of a verb
a verb in this aspect

Derived forms of progressive

progressively, adverbprogressiveness, nounprogressivism, nounprogressivist, noun

British Dictionary definitions for progressive (2 of 2)

Progressive

/ (prəˈɡrɛsɪv) /

noun

US history a member or supporter of a Progressive Party

Canadian history a member or supporter of a chiefly agrarian reform movement advocating the nationalization of railways, low tariffs, an end to party politics, and similar measures: important in the early 1920s

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of a Progressive Party, Progressive movement, or Progressives

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

progressive

OTHER WORDS FOR progressive

Origin of progressive

OTHER WORDS FROM progressive

Words related to progressive

How to use progressive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for progressive (1 of 2)

Derived forms of progressive

British Dictionary definitions for progressive (2 of 2)