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proactive

[ proh-ak-tiv ]
/ proʊˈæk tɪv /
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adjective
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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Origin of proactive

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

OTHER WORDS FROM proactive

pro·ac·tive, nounpro·ac·tiv·i·ty [proh-ak-tiv-i-tee], /ˌproʊ ækˈtɪv ɪ ti/, pro·ac·tive·ness, nounpro·ac·tive·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH proactive

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

How to use proactive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proactive

proactive
/ (prəʊˈæktɪv) /

adjective
tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events
psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process

Word Origin for proactive

C20: from pro- ² + (re) active
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
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