proactive

American  

[proh-ak-tiv] / proʊˈæk tɪv /

adjective

1. 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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proactive British  

/ prəʊˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events

2. psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process

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Usage

What does proactive mean? Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Actions that are proactive are initiated not in reaction to a situation but instead out of a desire to make a positive change, prepare for a situation, or prevent something from happening.Proactive is commonly used to describe people who take such actions. It’s also commonly used in the phrase proactive measures, meaning proactive actions, especially those done to prevent a negative situation.Example: Henry credits most of his success to being proactive instead of waiting for opportunities to come to him.

Other Word Forms

• proactive noun
• proactively adverb
• proactiveness noun
• proactivity noun

Etymology

Origin of proactive

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

Example Sentences

President Jimmy Carter used his 1980 State of the Union address to articulate a proactive new American position toward the region, centered on the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alexa+ turns the digital assistant into a more chatty device which Amazon says will be able to follow threads and be more proactive in its responses.

From BBC

"That's why we are being so proactive in the provision of antibiotics, because they're an effective treatment, but also standing up vaccination at a pace and in a way that we wouldn't normally do."

From BBC

Orcel said the only change in that scenario would be UniCredit becoming more proactive on sharing its views on the path forward for the German bank.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sensors can also help with proactive maintenance, by tracking early scent signatures of electronic components overheating.

From The Wall Street Journal