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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

Brown called Rapp the "best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro" and said Rapp asked for her autograph in the lead-up to the fight.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

He played six seasons in the minors before launching a coaching career that’s taken him through the gamut of pro baseball levels, and even out of the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

"That's been my dream since I was 11 - to make it pro and be an inspiration to people, like younger players."

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

It’s a quid pro quo dating back to 1993.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

“And let’s see what we can do about getting the original Duke back on the job ASAP. We need a real pro in that part, too.”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

The 20-year-old has been at Craven Cottage since 2023 but is yet to make an appearance after spending last season on loan at Belgium Pro League side Dender EH.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Pro 7, which ran an advertising campaign in which their mascot held an Olympic flame or curled, skated or bob-sledded down a supermarket aisle, was fined a total of 550,000 euros.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Google’s Gemini 3.5 Pro, its most powerful AI model to date, is months behind schedule because of the company’s work to try and boost its performance, according to Bloomberg.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

"I've had great experiences with the FAW. I did my B Licence, my A Licence here, and now to have the opportunity to complete my Pro Licence, it's a big honour."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Pro Bono came to our side, having inquired of a sailor, and told us, “Up the Chesapeake. Past Mobjack Bay.”

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

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

She was one of only three Republicans in the House to vote in favor of the so-called PRO Act, which would significantly strengthen collective bargaining rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024

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 said the tentative five-year agreement included guaranteed pay increases this year of 10-33% for referees, 75-104% raises for assistant referees and 15-100% for video match officials along with increased match fees.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2024

The representatives of the press had been handed the mimeographed releases by the PRO and now they sat in silence, studying the red figure of the man who was to ride the rocket.

From The Hills of Home by Coppel, Alfred

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

Both pro- and anti-Hezbollah people tell me these feel surreal.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 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

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

UK-based fertility expert Prof Suks Minhas says that there are pros and cons to the increased discussion around declining sperm and male fertility.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

He guided the Cougars to seven City titles and sent numerous players to college and the pros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Most bond pros would rather own anything else other than boring Treasuries, but there is a case for the sector.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

Mixed messages may actually be beneficial, because they makes all sides — administrators, professors and students — consider the pros and cons of AI’s rise, he noted.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Alex casually knocked the dust off his pants, just like the pros did on TV.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers

Related Words

• ace
• expert
• professional