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

Explanation

The adjective proactive can describe a person who gets things done. If you are proactive, you make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you. Active means "doing something." The prefix pro- means "before." So if you are proactive, you are ready before something happens. The opposite is being reactive, or waiting for things to unfold before responding. Think about winter cold season. A proactive person washes his hands and takes vitamins; a reactive person gets sick and takes cold medicine.

Example Sentences

Senior government statistician Yu Weining said Monday that Beijing’s front-loaded proactive policy measures helped lift industrial profit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

“The CIA is a lot more out there and a lot more proactive than they were before.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Asos added it had taken "proactive actions to help mitigate inflationary impacts and supply chain issues arising from the conflict in the Middle East", and said it continued to monitor developments closely.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Employees who are proactive now have the chance to reshape their jobs for the future.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

He thinks she needs to make proactive, strategic plans, or else she won’t accomplish anything at all.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison