progressive

American  

[pruh-gres-iv] / prəˈgrɛs ɪv /

adjective

1. favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters.

   The city recently elected a progressive mayor.

   Synonyms:

   liberal

2. making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc..

   We are a progressive community supporting and connecting innovative artists from many different cultures.

3. Progressive, of or relating to any of the Progressive parties in politics.

4. going forward or onward; passing successively from one member of a series to the next; proceeding step by step.

   We are seeing a progressive increase in average temperatures worldwide.

   Synonyms:

   continuous, straight, successive, consecutive

5. relating to or being a form of taxation in which the rate increases with certain increases in taxable income.

6. of or relating to progressive education.

   He worries that progressive schools achieve less solid mastery than conventional schools.

7. Grammar. designating a verb aspect or other verb category used for an action or state in process at a particular point of reference in time, whether past, present, or future.

8. Medicine/Medical. continuously increasing in extent or severity, as a disease.

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noun

1. a person who is progressive or who favors progress or reform, especially in political matters.

2. Progressive, a member of a Progressive party.

3. Grammar.

   1. a verb aspect or other verb category used for an action or state in process at a particular point of reference in time, whether past, present, or future.

   2. an instance or form of a verb in this aspect, such as They are thinking about it, I was reading when you called, or Tomorrow I will be traveling to Boston.

progressive ¹ British  

/ prəˈɡrɛsɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to progress

2. proceeding or progressing by steps or degrees

3. (often capital) favouring or promoting political or social reform through government action, or even revolution, to improve the lot of the majority

   a progressive policy

4. denoting or relating to an educational system that allows flexibility in learning procedures, based on activities determined by the needs and capacities of the individual child, the aim of which is to integrate academic with social development

5. (of a tax or tax system) graduated so that the rate increases relative to the amount taxed Compare regressive

6. (esp of a disease) advancing in severity, complexity, or extent

7. (of a dance, card game, etc) involving a regular change of partners after one figure, one game, etc

8. denoting an aspect of verbs in some languages, including English, used to express prolonged or continuous activity as opposed to momentary or habitual activity

   a progressive aspect of the verb ``to walk'' is ``is walking.''

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noun

1. a person who advocates progress, as in education, politics, etc

2. 1. the progressive aspect of a verb

   2. a verb in this aspect

Progressive ² British  

/ prəˈɡrɛsɪv /

noun

1. history a member or supporter of a Progressive Party

2. Canadian history a member or supporter of a chiefly agrarian reform movement advocating the nationalization of railways, low tariffs, an end to party politics, and similar measures: important in the early 1920s

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Progressive Party, Progressive movement, or Progressives

Other Word Forms

• antiprogressive adjective
• nonprogressive adjective
• nonprogressiveness noun
• progressively adverb
• progressiveness noun
• progressivism noun
• progressivist noun
• progressivity noun
• quasi-progressive adjective
• semiprogressive adjective
• semiprogressiveness noun
• ultraprogressive adjective
• ultraprogressiveness noun
• unprogressive adjective
• unprogressiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of progressive

First recorded in 1600–10; progress + -ive

Explanation

People who are progressive favor reform and believe that government should play a big role in improving society. This word is the opposite of conservative, which means "favoring tradition; resistant to change." Although it's often used in political contexts as a synonym of liberal, progressive can also be used in a more general sense. You're a progressive thinker if you like to come up with new ways of doing things and you’re open to change. A progressive tax increases the tax rate in increments: higher earners pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes. In the field of grammar, progressive refers to a type of verb tense that describes ongoing action. This word applies to lots of things that slowly increase, change, or progress.

Example Sentences

Mubi’s staff ballooned from about 40 people in 2020 to more than 400 in 2025, many of whom thought they were joining a progressive company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

ALS, on the other hand, targets motor neurons, causing progressive muscle weakness that eventually leads to paralysis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

Whereas in Gilead, it’s not a liberated place, it’s not a really progressive society, but periods are spoken about quite freely.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The DJ became an ambassador for the charity in 2015 when his mother was diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Then she became executive director of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, a progressive legal group.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• forward-looking
• forward-thinking
• left
• left of center
• leftist
• liberal
• reformist