pro1
- in favor of a proposition, opinion, etc.
- a proponent of an issue; a person who upholds the affirmative in a debate.
- an argument, consideration, vote, etc., for something.
Origin of pro1
pro2
- a professional.
- the pros, the professional athletic leagues, as of football, baseball, or basketball: He's sure to be signed by the pros.
Origin of pro2
pro3
Origin of pro3
pro4
- for.
Pro
PRO
or P.R.O.
- public relations officer.
pro-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.
- 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.
Origin of pro-1
pro-2
- a prefix identical in meaning with pro-1, occurring in words borrowed from Greek (prodrome) or formed of Greek (and occasionally Latin) elements.
Origin of pro-2
Examples from the Web for pro
Contemporary Examples
How did you make the transition from pro surfer to modeling?
As Pro Publica recently noted, blacks age 15 to 19 have a 21 times greater chance of being killed by the police than white teens.
In Massachusetts, for example, Baker is running as a pro-choice, pro same-sex marriage Republican nominee.
Another was Greg Jacob, a pro rugby player for Gaelic Athletic Association.
The X Factor of Sex Invades Britain: Rebecca More’s ‘Sex Tour’ Enrages UK PoliticiansMarlow Stern
October 20, 2014
Trying to motivate the Allies, he offered his assistance and cooperation to the profession as a whole, pro bono.
Historical Examples
C4-6 are a reduplication, not unnatural indeed, but pro tanto tautological.
CyropaediaXenophon
“Yes, but not for motion without the ‘pro,’” objected de Spain.
Nan of Music MountainFrank H. Spearman
You will never be happy if the pro and the con distress you alike.
Diderot and the EncyclopdistsJohn Morley
Don't you see that with Sawyer on pro there's a big hole in the line?
Left End EdwardsRalph Henry Barbour
The Catholics raised the banner "Pro religione et libertate!"
The Story of RussiaR. Van Bergen, M.A.
pro1
- in favour of a motion, issue, course of action, etcCompare anti
- in favour of
- (usually plural) an argument or vote in favour of a proposal or motionSee also pros and cons
- (usually plural) a person who votes in favour of a proposal, motion, etc
Word Origin
pro2
- informal short for professional
- slang a prostitute
- professional practitioner
- informal short for professional
Word Origin
PRO
- Public Records Office
- public relations officer
pro-1
- in favour of; supportingpro-Chinese
- acting as a substitute forproconsul; pronoun
Word Origin
pro-2
- before in time or position; anterior; forwardprophase; procephalic; prognathous
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for pro
n.1
1866, shortening of professional (n.). The adjective is first recorded 1915 (in golfing's pro shop).
n.2
"a consideration or argument in favor," c.1400, from Latin pro (see pro-). Pro and con is attested from c.1400, short for pro and contra "for and against" (Latin pro et contra).
pro-
word-forming element meaning "forward, forth, toward the front" (e.g. proclaim, proceed); "beforehand, in advance" (prohibit, provide); "taking care of" (procure); "in place of, on behalf of" (proconsul, pronoun); from Latin pro "on behalf of, in place of, before, for, in exchange for, just as," which also was used as a prefix.
Also in some cases from cognate Greek pro "before, in front of, sooner," which also was used in Greek as a prefix (e.g. problem). Both the Latin and Greek words are from PIE *pro- (cf. Sanskrit pra- "before, forward, forth;" Gothic faura "before," Old English fore "before, for, on account of," fram "forward, from;" Old Irish roar "enough"), extended form of root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per).
The common modern sense "in favor of, favoring" (e.g. pro-independence, pro-fluoridation, pro-Soviet) was not in classical Latin and is attested in English from early 19c.
Pro
- proline
pro-
- Earlier; before; prior to:progenitor.
- Rudimentary:pronucleus.
- Anterior; in front of:procephalic.