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.
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.
Progressive, of or relating to any of the Progressive parties in politics.
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.
relating to or being a form of taxation in which the rate increases with certain increases in taxable income.
of or relating to progressive education.
He worries that progressive schools achieve less solid mastery than conventional schools.
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.
Medicine/Medical. continuously increasing in extent or severity, as a disease.
a person who is progressive or who favors progress or reform, especially in political matters.
Progressive, a member of a Progressive party.
Grammar.
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.
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.
of or relating to progress
proceeding or progressing by steps or degrees
(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
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
(of a tax or tax system) graduated so that the rate increases relative to the amount taxed Compare regressive
(esp of a disease) advancing in severity, complexity, or extent
(of a dance, card game, etc) involving a regular change of partners after one figure, one game, etc
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.''
a person who advocates progress, as in education, politics, etc
the progressive aspect of a verb
a verb in this aspect
history a member or supporter of a Progressive Party
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
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.
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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.
Progressives have long framed a spectrum of issues in economic terms, said Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for the progressive caucus Justice Democrats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“They chose their metrics very carefully. They cherry-pick,” said Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Gould said there is a need for a "progressive" approach.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Platner, who had no political experience, was recruited into the race by Daniel Moraff, an Ivy League–educated consultant who served as a headhunter for progressive and unconventional Democratic candidates.
From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Like, isn’t this supposed to be one of the most progressive cities on the planet?”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Progressive revenue recognition from its record order book and partial contribution from a new yard should also drive the Singapore-listed shipbuilder’s earnings growth, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
As in the Progressive Era, Americans want solutions to weed out government corruption.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and had support from prominent leftist lawmakers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Progressive voters, younger voters and working-class voters historically vote later or via mail.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
I had no idea what the Progressive Era was, and back in the office, I got out the World Book Encyclopedia.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, an organization that recruits young progressives to run for office, agreed.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Whether he could earn that nomination against what would be an ocean of criticism from Maine progressives, though, is another story.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Vocal progressives like Cardi B, the Marías and Charli XCX are some of the label’s most high-profile acts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Even some progressives are unhappy with the group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Middle-class progressives, disgusted by the corrupt politics of both Thompson and Sweitzer, threw their weight behind an independent reformer.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
