a proponent of an issue; a person who upholds the affirmative in a debate.
an argument, consideration, vote, etc., for something.
a professional.
the pros, the professional athletic leagues, as of football, baseball, or basketball.
He's sure to be signed by the pros.
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.
(usually plural) an argument or vote in favour of a proposal or motion See also pros and cons
(usually plural) a person who votes in favour of a proposal, motion, etc
informal short for professional
slang a prostitute
Public Records Office
public relations officer
in favour of; supporting
pro-Chinese
acting as a substitute for
proconsul
pronoun
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. )
First recorded in 1840–50; by shortening
First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening
< Latin prō-, pro-, combining form representing prō pro 1
< Greek, combining form of pró for, before; see pro 1
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
During his trip, Mr Macron had meetings with New Caledonian pro- and anti-independence leaders.
From BBC • May 23, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
