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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

But we then found another pro who said she’d do it.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

If you were choosing a personal-financial planner, you’d want someone with decades’ worth of judgment and intuition—a pro with a steady demeanor that comes from having seen it all before.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

You might hire an estate sale pro if your home is filled with furniture, knickknacks, tableware, toys, art and collectibles that others might buy, albeit for minimal prices.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

They can be technically proficient, maybe even a little funny, but there is always an underlying cadence of the uncanny valley that I still doubt Suno v6 pro et al. or whatever has totally overcome.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

I’m wondering if any of the people on the plane say quid pro quo.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

The four-time Pro Bowl selection was then asked if he thought the comment was disrespectful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

“In life, many men have talent, but talent in itself is no accomplishment,” Ditka said in his enshrinement speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Apple 18 Pro retails from $1,199 and the Pro Max’s pricing starts at $1,299.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Amazon is launching a lineup of three new Alexa tablets: Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Amazon Alexa Tablet 11, and Amazon Alexa Tablet 8.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

“And he’s going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for sure.”

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

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

PRO, with backing from MLS, responded by locking out the referees and using backup officials, many of whom had never worked above the lower levels of U.S. soccer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024

On the dais nearby, listening to the PRO, but watching Kimball, sat Steinhart, the team analyst.

From The Hills of Home by Alfred Coppel

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

His reactions to the sometimes outrageous comments of his interview subjects, be they pro- or anti-wolf, are sphinx-like; he treats everyone with respect, even when they seem to be going for a soundbite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

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

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

They could see the pro- ' cessional clerics busy about the decencies of death, and the twinkling knights standing motionless, and the people’s heads, like baskets of coconuts, round the outside of the square.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Investment pros say investors shouldn’t abandon bonds, but instead focus on those with shorter maturities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

It has been a disastrous and unfamiliar start for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, who before this season had never lost his first two games, either in college or the pros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

"So there are clearly options that need to be considered, and we have to look at what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each," he added.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

CEO Vlad Tenev said the agentic trading tools will give everyday traders capabilities previously reserved for hedge funds and Wall Street pros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The thirty-nine-year-old Sproul made a show of weighing the pros and cons, but his decision was preordained.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• ace
• expert
• professional