progression

[ pruh-gresh-uhn ]

/ prəˈgrɛʃ ən /

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See synonyms for progression on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of progressing; forward or onward movement.

a passing successively from one member of a series to the next; succession; sequence.

Mathematics. a succession of quantities in which there is a constant relation between each member and the one succeeding it.Compare arithmetic progression, geometric progression, harmonic progression.

Music. the manner in which chords or melodic tones follow one another; a succession of chords or tones.

Astrology. any of a variety of methods of comparing the natal chart to subsequent planetary positions in order to establish an optimum time to accomplish things or to establish the probable time an event occurred or will occur.

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Origin of progression

1400–50; late Middle English <Latin prōgressiōn- (stem of prōgressiō). See progress, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM progression

pro·gres·sion·al, adjectivepro·gres·sion·al·ly, adverb

Words nearby progression

progravid, Progreso, progress, progress bar, progress chaser, progression, progressionist, progressist, progressive, progressive assimilation, Progressive Conservative

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

How to use progression in a sentence

The AI can make guesses about the future without having to learn anything about the progression of time, says Vlontzos.
How special relativity can help AI predict the future|Will Heaven|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
So far, Biobot’s research suggests that wastewater can indeed paint a picture of an outbreak’s progression.
Tackling covid|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
In the cool rows, robotic-looking lights blink green and blue in orderly progression.
The Deck Is Not Rigged: Poker and the Limits of AI|Maria Konnikova|August 7, 2020|Singularity Hub
If your numbers are plentiful enough to make this sum infinite, Erdős conjectured that your list should contain infinitely many arithmetic progressions of every finite length — triples, quadruples and so forth.
Landmark Math Proof Clears Hurdle in Top Erdős Conjecture|Erica Klarreich|August 3, 2020|Quanta Magazine

Even if we ignore the impact on our progression and workload, we aren’t doing SEO for the sake of it.
Why SEOs should care about brand|Robin Lord|July 31, 2020|Search Engine Land
On her own path, though, the “relationship know-it-all” is embracing her own, different natural progression.
Confessions of a Rom-Com Writer: Liz Tuccillo Talks ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Take Care,’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
[I] had to create the progression of where he was emotionally.
The Stacks: The Eyes of Winter: Paul Newman at 70|Peter Richmond|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Beast: Von Trier follows a girl named Joe from her progression through adolescence into adulthood.
A Sex Addiction Expert Diagnoses Lars Von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac’|Lizzie Crocker|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I have always loved clothing and fashion and it was just a natural progression, with opening the store and now this.
Fashion Secrets of a ‘Real Housewife'|Erin Cunningham|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There has to be a progression in what Francis is willing to do in order to move forward, and that was the natural progression.
Beau Willimon on Most Shocking Twists in ‘House of Cards’ Season 2|Andrew Romano|February 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A perishing formation loses moral force in more rapid progression than the mere loss of members would seem to warrant.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Had she not three love affairs, in different but encouraging stages of progression, under her roof and her patronage!
At Last|Marion Harland
Now the series treated of in the text agrees with this linear progression in nothing whatever but in being a progression.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill
The result was rather bad for the Turks; they went down like a lot of ninepins before Mole's railway-like progression.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks|Bracebridge Hemyng
From the ancient fort on the headland to the Casa Blanca and the city beyond, it was a progression of delicious sights and sounds.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr

British Dictionary definitions for progression

progression

/ (prəˈɡrɛʃən) /

noun

the act of progressing; advancement

the act or an instance of moving from one thing or unit in a sequence to the next

maths a sequence of numbers in which each term differs from the succeeding term by a constant relationSee also arithmetic progression, geometric progression, harmonic progression

music movement, esp of a logical kind, from one note to the next (melodic progression) or from one chord to the next (harmonic progression)

astrology one of several calculations, based on the movement of the planets, from which it is supposed that one can find the expected developments in a person's birth chart and the probable trends of circumstances for a year in his life

Derived forms of progression

progressional, adjectiveprogressionally, adverb

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